iDon't Want to Wake Up
by OneHorseShay
Summary: It was suppose to be a restful sleep when Carly returned that night from her granddad's, but an unexpected thunderstorm wakes her up into a very different world than the one she fell asleep. Creddie, AU World. Post-iBalls.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: My muse demanded that I write on this idea as I'm finishing up the next chapter of iWould Have Pounded Him Silly. I hope you enjoy the start of what I think will be a relative short story in comparison to my usual ones, but you never know.**

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><p>iDon't Want to Wake Up<br>By OneHorseShay  
>Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. For God sakes, don't sue.<br>Rating: T for possible language, adult themes or violence.  
>Pairing(s): Eventually Creddie and established Creddie at the same time. Other pairings may be explored.<br>Summary: It was suppose to be a restful sleep when Carly returned that night from her granddad's, but an unexpected thunderstorm wakes her up into a very different world than the one she fell asleep.

Chapter 1

Shay Residence  
>Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

Carly snuggled her head into the pillow as the storm raged outside of her window. She brought her covers over her head as it thundered and the lightning flashed to illuminate the room while wind howled and rattled her window with rain drops splattering on the glass.

She didn't think it was going to rain tonight as when she went to bed there were barely any clouds in the night sky. She just wanted a peaceful night sleep in her own bed after spending the last week with her granddad, but Mother Nature obviously had other plans. She rolled to her side and saw the time displayed in red from her digital clock of 6:52 AM.

She let out a soft growl at getting up that early on a Saturday morning. She rolled on to her back to stare up at the ceiling. She doubted that she would get back to sleep anytime soon, so she decided to roll herself out of bed to go ahead and get up for at least a few hours. She figured she could always take a nap later in the day.

She took the first steps down from the platform for her bed and noticed Sam was snuggled up with a blanket sleeping on her couch ignoring the storm outside.

Carly's brow furled as she didn't remember Sam planning to stay the night. She only remember Spencer coming back after the three left her standing at the elevator entrance to go somewhere, apparently not caring she had returned. She brushed away her moment of confusion as she made her way out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the stairwell.

The brunette yawned as she scratched the side of her head and made her way down the stairs as she noticed the living room and kitchen lights already on at this hour of the morning. She figured that she wasn't the only Shay to have been wakened up by the storm.

She started as she finished wiping the sleep out of her eyes upon entering the kitchen, "Hey Spence—" The brunette stopped in mid-sentence and her tracks when she finally opened her eyes and saw the person at the counter by the coffeemaker was not Spencer, but a woman looking to be only in her early forties and standing at about Carly's own height with long with dark brown hair she guessed went just past her shoulders, but was pulled back in a messy ponytail and wearing oval glasses.

The other brunette smiled at her as she turned away from the coffeemaker with the coffee pot in one hand to pour into the mug resting on the counter. "Hey cupcake; did the storm wake you up too?" As she waited for an answer, she poured her coffee into the mug then put the pot back in its place so she could take a sip of the dark liquid. She mumbled and slightly shook her head after finishing her sip, "Spencer got the decaf again."

Carly blinked and her mouth opened and closed like a comical fish.

The older brunette looked up from the mug towards Carly and frowned slightly when she saw the shocked expression on the teenager's face. She sat the mug down on the counter to take a step towards the web-hostess.

Carly took a hesitant step back as her eyes remained locked on the figure in front of her. She spoke in a barely audible whisper, "You can't be real."

The older woman's brow furled as she asked with evident concern in her voice, "Sweetheart?"

Carly turned and dashed towards the stairs. She was halfway up them when the lady reached the bottom of the stairs and shouted up the stairs, "Carly?"

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><p>Carly threw open her bedroom door and shouted, "Sam! Sam, wake up!"<p>

Sam growled out as she tightened her eyes closed and pulled her blanket tighter around her body. "What?"

The brunette was over at the couch in a dash and grabbed the blonde and shook her to get her attention. "Sam _wake up_."

She opened her eyes and stood up. "What?" she asked with a tone to show her annoyance of having to get up.

Carly followed her in standing. "I just saw my mom," Carly whispered out doubting her own sanity for a moment.

Sam rubbed the sleep out of her right eye and yawned, "Yeah, so."

Carly walked up to the blonde and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Sam, _I just saw my mom_."

The dirty blonde blinked for a moment then raised an eyebrow as she frowned in confusion. "And, so?"

Carly stared at her friend completely flabbergasted at her response.

There was a knock on the bedroom door which startled the brunette. "Carly?" Taylor Shay called out in concern for her daughter. Carly turned to look at the door then swung around behind Sam to use her as a shield.

"Kiddo, what are you freaking out for?" Sam snorted out with a laugh. She pulled away from Carly and headed for the door.

"Sam, wait!"

The older teenager ignored her apparently freaking out friend and opened the door to reveal the equally confused older brunette on the other side of the threshold to the room.

She gave a quick nod to Sam and entered to approach the pale teenager. She asked in a tone that could only be conveyed by a worried mother, "Carly? Are you alright?"

"Ah…"

Taylor wrapped her daughter in an embrace and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She whispered, "What's wrong sweetheart?"

Carly hesitantly wrapped arms around the woman that appeared to be her mother. She was real to the touch. Carly could hear the woman's heartbeat and feel the warmth of her body and the comfort of the arms wrapped around her shoulders and back.

She pulled away a few seconds later to cup her daughter's cheeks and looked into the brown frightened eyes. "Carlotta, whatever it is, you are home and safe and sound."

Before Carly could form a response, her lanky artist of a brother shouted as he reached the outside of Carly's room holding a baseball bat, "I heard shouting!"

Taylor dropped her hands from Carly's cheeks and rested them on the teenager's shoulders as she turned her head to look over her shoulder at her excited son. "It's okay Spencer. Everything is fine."

"Oh, okay…" he replied somewhat embarrassed as he lowered the bat and tried to hide it behind one of his legs.

Carly hesitantly looked to her brother then back to the eyes of the woman Carly was trying to comprehend on whether or not she was her mother. She just let her mouth start going as she couldn't think of anything really to say, "I ah… I guess I just had a really bad nightmare and ah… I guess I was still half a sleep."

Taylor nodded along with an understanding smile then started brushing some of Carly's hair with her fingers. "It's okay. I'll go ahead and fix us some breakfast and get you some real coffee. That'll wake you up. "

Carly swallowed nervously then answered, barely able to get out the last word, "Sure… thanks… _mom_."

She tilted her head to the side and gave a bashful smile. She looked back to her son and instructed with a kind voice, "Spencer, you have to go to that twenty-four hour place down the street and get us some real coffee."

The nearly thirty year old artist looked out the window to see that the bottom was still falling out with the thunder still rumbling. He rolled his eyes and answered in a defeated, yet playful voice, "Okay mom. I'll be right back." He turned hand headed out of the room to his room to get dressed.

"And pick up some extra bacon!" the blonde insisted if he was going to go out.

"Fine!" he shouted from down the hallway.

Taylor turned to look back at Carly and the pair inadvertently shared a smile at Sam's antics. She turned and gently put some pressure on Carly's shoulder to lead the brunette out of the room and back downstairs. "Look on the bright side of getting up this early: you'll be wide awake for when Freddie gets back."

"_Get back from where?"_ crossed the teenager's mind. Carly didn't understand what her 'mother' meant by the comment, but she decided to remain quiet until she could figure out what was going on.

**Author's Note: Special Guest Appearance by Tina Fey as Taylor Faye Shay. This interpretation of Taylor is different than my other presentations of the character. iSassmaster may or may not have a baring in this story. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Forgot to put up this second chapter I had completed. I hope you enjoy. I really don't know what the update rate of this is going to be since I still have my other stories to work on.  
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><p>Chapter 2<p>

'_This can't be real. This can't be real. This can't be real,'_ Carly repeated over and over in her mind as she sat quietly at the kitchen table sipping her 'real' coffee as her 'mother' put it and watched the Shay matriarch fix breakfast at the stove. She seemed to be a dream given form as her mother moved casually about the kitchen as if it her presence was perfectly normal. The woman was obviously a little bit older than how Carly vaguely remembered her and depicted in the photos left of her just before chemo in her last battle with leukemia. She still held the same beauty the teenager may have idealized about her mother, but possessed none of the frailty or tiredness of her final days. The woman appearing to be her mother completed the picture by tying one of her bandanas she had been so fond of wearing around her head to cover just above her forehead and the top of her head before she got started on preparing breakfast.

Carly glanced over to Spencer as he was alternating sipping his own coffee and eating his FiberNuts. Other than his hair was still a little damp from running to the store down the street as apparently he had taken her mother's instructions literally, Spencer looked and acted in his 'normal' way. The idea of running out to get their mother real coffee at seven on a rainy Saturday morning was apparently nothing unusual.

Carly remained seated looking towards the stove, but had passed a glance or two behind her shoulder to see Sam patiently sitting on the living room couch munching on some cereal as she watched cartoons on Dimeodeon. The few minutes that she had spent with the blonde didn't show anything different about her that she could pick up other than her same carefree attitude about the Shays' mother's presence despite the fact that the blonde had never met her mother.

They may have appeared to be the same, but she knew one individual couldn't possibly be the same with the presence of her mother: her father. She would like to see that interaction, but doubt she would because she figured he was on a deployment in this universe just as easily in her own. She wondered if he was gone as often here as he was there.

The stranger in the strange universe turned her attention as casually as possible to look around the apartment as she waited for her breakfast. There didn't appear to be anything significantly different about her home other than one or two of the paintings and pictures were different.

It wasn't like when Spencer was normal and the apartment was completely… _Mitch_.

The angel's name flashed in her mind as to the explanation as to what was happening to her. The angel had demonstrated the ability to create or move her to another universe during Christmas of '08. He had shown her what life would be like if Spencer was born 'normal', so was this his way of showing her what life might be like with her mother being alive?

She hadn't wished for this or even seen Mitch before waking up to this episode of the 'Twilight Zone'. However, she really couldn't shout for him to attempt to get an explanation or they might think she's mad for shouting out for an angel. She couldn't exactly tell them the truth for the same reason. She wished she had paid more attention that one time Freddie was trying to explain quantum mechanicals or something about parallel universes during one of his 'nerd' lectures as Sam put it. They might think she's less crazy if she tried to tell them the truth.

Then there was Freddie. Her mother had offhandedly commented that he would be coming back today, but she still didn't know from where and it might look odd if she asked them. Spencer and Sam seemed to be the same, so she was hoping that Freddie would for the most part be like hers. Dealing with her mother's presences was going to be stressful enough and she was glad that everything else apparently was the same from her perspective. So in the meantime of trying to figure out how and why she was here, she thought her best bet was to play along to keep them from putting her in Troubled Waters.

Carly was pulled out of her musings as her mother called out, "Samantha! Breakfast!"

The blonde sat her bowl down on the coffee table and leapt from her seat. She dashed to the kitchen and slid into a seat cattycorner to Carly's left. "I'm starving," the blonde uttered as the older brunette sat a plate in front of the blonde with one hand and with the other a plate in front of Carly.

Carly looked down at her plate of food prepared by the hands of her mother. She took a slow breath as she pondered that concept: eating a meal prepared by her mother. She took another to try to keep herself calm as she was having difficulty trying to process the concept. She looked up to her mother and gave a crooked, half-hearted smile. "I'm not really all that hungry,"

Taylor frowned and gave her a concerned gaze. "Okay… have some toast and I'll fix you some oatmeal. That should settle your stomach?"

The web-hostess nodded her head. "Sure."

"More for me then," Sam announced with a laugh and reached over with her fork to the brunette's plate.

"Hey, we talked about this," Taylor spoke softly, but the teenager could hear the little bit of steel in her voice.

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes as she brought the fork away from Carly's plate. She answered in a defeated tone, "Yes, ma'am."

Carly's brow furled as she tried to comprehend something where she didn't have the full story.

Her mother quickly prepared some oatmeal and the brunette quietly ate it without complaint. She watched three chat about useless stuff trying to pick up on anything she was suppose to know.

After about twenty minutes of observing the three and deciding to eat on the original breakfast her mother as prepared for her, the elevator dinged to indicate someone was arriving on their floor.

Carly turned her head wondering who could be coming up regardless of even the hour. Apparently the rest of them were equally surprised as Spencer got up from his seat followed by the rest of them.

Freddie was standing in the elevator with a grinning nearly ear to ear wearing a soaked blue poncho with his hair matted down and some on his forehead. He laughed out, "I'm back."

Taylor failed to admonish the teenager as she kept breaking into a smile, "Freddie Benson, Marissa is going to have a fit when she finds out what you pulled."

Freddie gave her a charming smile and shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I was eager to get _home_…" He glanced at Carly with a charming smile as emphasized the word home. Carly blinked and tried to keep the shock off of her face from the look the brown eye teenager was giving her.

He looked back to the Shay matriarch and continued, "I won't tell her if you won't?"

Taylor laughed briefly. "Alright."

Sam commented as Freddie walked into the apartment and attempted to pull the soaked poncho over his head, "You have finally lost it nub, coming back in this weather. You're not supposed to be back for hours. "

Once he got it off of him trying not to get the rest of himself soaked, he laughed back, "Love you too, you little she-demon, but like I said: I was eager to get home."

The pair chuckled at each other's responses then Sam embraced him for a moment. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"Missed you too nub," she chuckled back.

Carly remained silent as she watched the pair. It wasn't their sugary sweet stuff that they carried on with when she watched them date, but it wasn't bickering routine that they had fallen back on when they broke up and she didn't know what to make of it.

Freddie stepped away from the blonde and looked to Carly with a warm smile.

She was the first to reply with a nervous greeting towards the dark headed teenager, "Hey."

"Hey," he replied with a grin plastered on his face. She sucked in a breath and grabbed his shoulders as Freddie wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground for a moment to slowly spin them around. He lowered her back down to her feet then leaned in and captured her lips for a slow, soft kiss.

She blinked from the surprise contact, utterly shocked by the gesture. However, moments later where she was going to instinctively lean into the kiss, he pulled away and gave her a beaming smile, "Hey? Miss me?"

Carly blinked and shut her mouth closed then stared at her friend as if he had lost his mind.

He apparently didn't have time to notice as Taylor laughed out, "I guessed you missed her?"

Freddie looked towards Mrs. Shay and let out a nervous laugh, "I guess so ma'am."

Taylor shook her head for a moment. "She's missed you too, but she's hid it well."

Carly looked to her mother with a confused expression.

She gave her daughter a warm smile. "Sweetie, you can't fool me. I use the same tricks when your dad's deployed, but I've had twenty-six years of practice."

Carly cleared her throat and nodded along. "Yeah, sure, right." She looked to Freddie as he still had an arm wrapped around her waist. She felt her throat constrict once again as she tried to reply calmly, "I missed you."

Spencer laughed out as he pulled Freddie's luggage from the elevator and into the apartment, "I'm just glad Carly's keeping it G rated."

The teenager's jaw dropped open as she looked to her older brother. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to such a statement. She didn't know how this universe's Carly would react, but she was kind of outraged and embarrassed by the comment. Her mother was quicker with a soft laugh and smirk towards her son as she countered, "As if you didn't inherit the Dorfman libido."

Spencer lips puckered and started to blush. He remained silent as he went ahead and took Freddie's luggage to rest near the entrance to the apartment.

Freddie shook his head with a bit of laughter as he watched Spencer. He looked back to Carly and apparently noticed her apprehensive expression. He raised an eyebrow and whispered in concern, "Is everything okay?"

Sam spoke up, "A really bad nightmare woke her up and it really wigged her out this morning. She was running around the apartment half asleep before she snapped out of it."

Freddie gave the brunette a worried expression. He gave the girl in his arms another quick kiss, but this time on the cheek. He leaned his forehead against her temple and whispered tenderly into her ear, "I'm sorry."

She tried to give him the best even expression she could give him as she just looked at him, but it wasn't helping that he still had an arm around her waist. "It's alright… I'm fine."

He nodded along. "Okay."

Sam called out, "Before you two get all lovey-duvey, tell us how was NERD camp?"

Carly's mind instantly brought to the forefront about how Sam had sabotaged Freddie's application of going to the camp yet somehow he was coming back from it. She then took a moment to realize how ridiculous it was to be overly concerned about that discrepancy in light of the fact that somehow her mother was alive and apparently she was with Freddie in some capacity.

Freddie laughed out, "Fantastic! It will bore you to tears… how was stuffing your face with FatCakes for the last six weeks?"

"Fantastic," Sam replied without missing a beat.

The pair laughed at each other's banter for a moment.

Taylor held up her hands and caught their attention with a soft comment, "While you all catch up, I'll fix Freddie some breakfast. I think he deserves a hot meal going through that downpour."

He nodded towards the older brunette, "Thank you Mrs. Shay."

"You're welcome," she answered as she turned back towards the kitchen.

Freddie looked back to the brunette then to Sam, "So, I was about to bore you two to tears…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading this spare of the moment story idea. The muse insisted I write and get this out before it lets me work on anything else. It's probably a good thing to prevent burnout on the other stories. I just realized something too, this is my 13th published story on on Friday the 13th. Thirteen has always been my lucky number.  
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**Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.**

**fruityloop: Thank you for the support.**

**fallingfaster-catchme: Thanks and I have every intention of finishing this story. I have WIP stories, but none abandoned with my history of writing.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Shay Apartment  
>Saturday, August 20, 2011<p>

Carly wore a hesitant smile as she observed Freddie relax in his chair at the kitchen table and eat on the breakfast her mother had prepared. He smiled at her in a way that she hadn't seen her Freddie smile at her for a while, at least since before her friends' brief relationship, between mouthfuls of his breakfast and pauses in recounting some of the things he did at NERD camp. She wanted to snort out a laugh at the idea of describing their nearly five week relationship as brief when her own with Freddie lasted mere days. However, this was not the time and certainly not the place to muse on that thought.

He had warned them that most of the details would bore them to tears, so she kind of tuned his words out as her thoughts drifted to the concept of this world's Carly and Freddie being a couple and apparently quite happy if the look on his face was any indication. The big question of: 'When?', 'Where?', 'How?', 'Why?' rattled in her mind.

How long had they been together? Was it since he saved her from the taco truck? Had they decided to stay together? Did the taco truck accident even happen? Did they get together before that? Was it after?

However, a more demanding question popped into her head: _'Why should you care?'_

The question snapped her out of her musings to give her a moment to look at things clearly. She had accepted long ago that she had no real romantic feelings for him… _he_ had made that clear just over a year and a half ago. What these two people had decided to do didn't have any bearing on her life. She really didn't need to know the details of how this pair of friends had become a couple, only just enough to fake it a little while until she could figure out how to get back home… where she didn't have a mother. The realization of the fact sent a quick shiver through her.

"You cold cupcake?" Taylor asked in a warm voice.

Carly snapped her head to see the concerned look on her mother's face. "What?"

"You shivered," she offered an explanation for her question.

Carly cracked a nervous smile. "Oh, I'm fine"

Taylor gave her a slight frown, but accepted the answer for the time being.

Sam looked bored resting a cheek in a hand braced with her elbow resting on the table, but she hadn't said any sarcastic jibe or insult on all of the 'nubby' things he had talked about.

Freddie apparently noticed and switch to something that might engage the blonde. "Well I know you two had a little more excitement than wiring circuit boards." Freddie raised a curious eyebrow towards Carly as he spoke, "I can believe you turning down the interview, but the video you made about… what was her name?"

"Cameron James," Sam offered with a nod of her head.

"Yeah, that's the reporter." He looked to Carly as he continued, "You were kind of mean to her in that video. Don't get me wrong, I'm touched, but you really looked like you embarrassed her."

"Video?" Carly questioned in a cautious tone.

Sam waved Freddie off apparently ignoring Carly's question. "Ah she deserved it." The blonde snorted out a laugh, "You should have seen Carly when she was _actually_ mad. She went off on Cameron when she said it wasn't important that she interview you since they didn't really consider you all that important to the creative side of the show. 'Camera monkey' as she put it. Carls nearly manhandled the woman out the door when she threw them out…then she tried to tell her to calm down."

Freddie let out a soft laugh then took a sip of his orange juice. Once he finished swallowing the liquid, he grinned and offered, "Never tell Dorfman women to calm down."

Taylor laughed, "I don't know. There can be some benefits…"

The trio looked to her with curious expressions.

Taylor looked down at the table top with a little bit of an embarrassed smile. "Never mind. That is something you two are not worrying about right now."

Carly had no idea what the woman could be talking about.

Freddie nodded his head then looked back to Carly with a smile. "I'm still touched."

The brunette swallowed trying to think on how her counterpart would respond. She was having a hard time getting a grip on how the Carly of this world was to behave since apparently other than being with Freddie, this Carly had refused the interview and made a video to call the woman out on what she perceived to be an insult. Carly nervously laughed, "Yeah… like I would do an interview with her about the show while she left you out." She hesitantly met each of their eyes and finished nearly choking on her words, "I mean, what kind of person would that make me? Someone—unappreciative of all you do for the show—thinking you didn't matter."

The pair and her mother looked on to her with worried expressions.

Carly rubbed the side of her forehead with her fingertips and looked down at the table as she realized that was exactly what she had done to her Freddie two weeks ago. She knew that this universe's Carly would take issue with her on making that choice if the two ever met. "I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling all that well."

Taylor nodded with a warm smile. "Okay, why don't you go back to your room and maybe try to take a nap?"

The younger brunette nodded along in an instant and quickly answered, "That sounds like a great idea."

Freddie spoke up having finished his breakfast, "I guess I'll go then. I need to let my mom know that I'm back anyway."

Sam verbally poked at him. "She's going to freak that you drove in this weather."

Freddie rolled his eyes as he stood up from the table then looked to same to question, "She'll just have to deal now won't she?"

Sam snorted out a laugh and shook her head. "I guess so. Later."

"Later," he answered then gave a respective nod to Mrs. Shay. Freddie headed for the door, but stopped halfway in the living room and turned back to look to Carly with a raised eyebrow.

Carly blinked then quickly realized that he was expecting her to see him off. She walked quickly to catch up in the hopes that she wasn't raising his suspicions.

"I'll see you later?" she asked s she felt the hint of blush form on her cheeks.

He took a step closer to be mere inches from her then gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. He leaned over further to whisper tenderly into her ear, "I'll be back in a little while. Love you."

She took in a sharp breath as he pulled away to meet her eyes with his soft brown ones and warm smile. She swallowed then stuttered out the only answer she thought could be the correct one, "I, ah… love you too."

The last time she tried to say those words with that meaning to her Freddie, he cut her off and said it wasn't true. This Freddie responded quite differently: with a smile, a nod and complete acceptance on his face. He whispered, "You really should take that nap. You look exhausted. Beautiful, but exhausted."

The brunette nodded. "Right. I think I'll try to get a few hours sleep."

"I'll see you. Call me when you want me to come over."

"Okay," was his response then with the luggage at hand resting by the door he walked out the door, but with one last look over his shoulder to see her.

Carly looked at the door for a few moments processing the encounter. This Freddie openly loved his Carly. She could see it in his eyes as they gave the same expression her Freddie use to give her. Why had he stopped? Did he stop caring for her that way? Or did he decide that she wasn't worth the constant pain anymore? Was he trying just to mask his feelings now after having to watch her be with Steven for three months or chase after Adam? Was that why he went along with Sam into a forced relationship, because he was tired of waiting for something she could… would not give him?

The questions were too big for her right now as she really did start to feel exhausted from just the last hour of being in this strange universe. She turned to see her mother smiling at her. Was that the look a mother gives to her daughter when she approves of the boy she takes home to meet her mother?

Carly shook her head as she didn't want to think about that. She mumbled as she made her way behind the couch and started up the stairs, "I'm going to go upstairs for that nap."

Taylor gave an understanding smile. "Alright, I'll check on you in a few hours."

Carly stared at the older brunette for a moment then quickly walked back downstairs and wrapped her arms around her for a hug. She closed her eyes for a few moments just to imprint on her memory the feeling of being held by her mother.

Taylor wrapped her arms around her daughter and rubbed her hands up and down her back. She didn't say a word or make any gesture that she thought Carly's actions were odd, but just held her as a mother who would hold her child when needed.

Carly pulled away and gave a bashful nod when as she whispered, "I see you in a little while."

She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay, I'll see you."

Carly turned and headed back up the stairs not even thinking about Sam and Spencer.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you all for the readership and reviews. I hope you enjoy this next installment.

Thanks Boris Yeltsin, Jeremy and annilein.

PD31, the Creddie moments might be a little interesting when you have one half of the pair not used to being openly affectionate to Freddie in that manner, so they should be sweet and awkward. Who she'll talk to first will be interesting.

Once again, Special Guest Appearance by Tina Fey as Taylor Faye Shay and Special Guest Appearance by Joe Flanigan as Colonel Steven Shay.

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Carly quickly shut the door behind her and turned on the Gummy Bear chandelier and other lights to get a good look of her room as it was still dark outside from the thunderstorm turning into just a heavy downpour.

She looked to the ceiling whispered out in a desperate tone in the hopes that no one downstairs would hear her, "Mitch?" She desperately looked around to see if he would show up as she continued to call out his name, but the angel refused to appear. She took a breath and let it out slowly as she was starting to get a little afraid of the situation. Either Mitch was responsible, but for some reason decided not to show up or he wasn't responsible. The idea that someone or something else had done this was the really scary part, but then another part of her mind whispered to her that if she had an Angel of the Lord watching out for her in the first place then it was very unlikely that anything else would be stupid enough to just play with her.

The web-hostess blew out a relieved breath in trying to take comfort in that idea, but that didn't exactly help her situation of being in some other universe at the moment. She mumbled, "I guess I better figure out who you are Carly Shay."

She took a cursory glance around the room as she didn't really pay attention to it when she half asleep and getting up. The room looked identical to her room in all appearance (apparently this Carly's room was destroyed at some point and redone), but she just wasn't going to take just a glance. She had a moment of apprehension as she really was about to invade someone else's privacy as it really wasn't her room, but she needed to get an understanding of the person she was going to have to impersonate at least for the time being. She cautiously walked through the room noticing the same furniture and decorations including the water table with the little remote control boats.

She walked up the stairs to her bed platform to give a fleeting look around the bed. Everything looked the same including the nebulizer on the right side nightstand. It was a safe assumption that she and her counterpart shared some asthma problems in their youth that caused them to 'snore' at night. She wondered if this Carly had told Freddie and Sam the truth or just gave them a half truth about snoring at night.

She brushed that thought aside and turned her attention to the window banister with the row of seats underneath it. There was the same short row of a few books and various small green plants, but noticed that the picture of Freddie holding his chin was replaced with another. She walked around her bed and avoided the mini-trampoline to reach the window. She picked the picture up from the banister to get a good look at it. The recent picture showed Freddie standing behind the other Carly with his chin resting on her right shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist. Her hands were softly resting on his locked hands with a barely perceived boyish smile on his face and her in a mid-soft giggle.

She let out a soft breath as she whispered, _"Who are you?"_

The brunette carefully sat the picture down and made her way down the steps and towards her closet. She pressed a button on the touchpad and the closet door opened. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for a few additional Air Force T-shirts and hoodies than she had in her closet. She tapped the pad again to close the closet then moved on to her desk and oversized monitor.

She took a few careful moments to see if the desk was any different. Her eyes caught nothing obviously different as she had a seat in her chair. She continued to glance around until she looked upon the thumbtack board hanging on her left and noticed that it was decorated differently. There were several additional pictures than the ones she had tacked to her board. There was another picture of her and Freddie standing side by side and holding one another with playful smiles on each of their faces. One picture looked like a fairly recent picture of her mother and father holding each other and smiling towards the camera. There was another one with the Dorfmans, but that Carly and Spencer looked genuinely happy to be in the photo with their cousins. The last two were odd ones: the first was a picture of apparently her and Jade of all people, but taken a few years ago and the second recent one of just the two of them, but not what she remembered wearing when they went to L.A. to catch Steven cheating on her with Tori.

_Steven?_ She took the moment to wonder about the two-timer. Since she was with Freddie that raised the question of whether or not this Carly had even dated Steven which led to the question of whether she even knew Tori and the rest of them in Los Angeles. However, since there were pictures of her and Jade, it was fair to assume that the two groups knew each other. On the question of whether she had dated Steven, she guessed it all depended on when she and Freddie had started dating… something she didn't know yet.

She just filed that mystery away in her mind in hopes of maybe getting answers later and those answers would actually be useful, but in the meantime she turned to the oversized monitor with the intention of looking through the computer and seeing if she could figure out when Carly started dating Freddie. She felt strangely apprehensive as she booted up the computer knowing that she really was going to violate her counterpart's privacy.

She took some time to look through her tweets and iCarly's tweets to see what she had been up to in the last few weeks. It turned out that they shared the same passwords as she read through some private tweets. Apparently Freddie and Carly had been keeping each other informed about what they had done over the last several weeks. Freddie mostly talked about how he interacted with the other camp goers and she avoided talking about how she outright missed him and how they were handling the show without him with Brad staying on to picked up the slack. However, there was one thing she picked up on the back and forth tweets: they were definitely flirting with one another and she hated to admit it, but her counterpart seemed to be a little better at it than her.

Other than that, Carly and Sam apparently were just wasting the summer away as it turned out in this universe that Ridgeway had remained a traditional calendar school and had not switched over to a year round school this year. Other things she had picked up in the twittering conversations were that the Dorfmans had visited and Carly had tweeted on how happy her mother had been to see her brother and his family. Her mother and Spencer had several separate art exposes around the state with one in Canada and one in Los Angeles as it looked like her mother continued to be an artist and this Spencer was better known as an artist than her brother.

It was apparent that her father had to know that Spencer didn't go to law school if he was artist with mom. Mom was still an artist… she'd have to take the time to see what her mother had worked on if her own mother had lived.

The brunette then went on to check out the iCarly site. She took about fifteen minutes or so to look as some past episodes and web segments. The segments were the same as she remembered broadcasting, but it was a little creepy in watching them since it wasn't actually her performing, but more or less twin. She wondered if Sam or any identical twins were ever crept out about watching someone looking exactly like them do something. She noticed the lack of antagonism between Freddie and Sam when they appeared on camera together during the show… they played off one another far better and found them funnier than her own friends in the same segments. However, she couldn't tell whether or not this Carly and Freddie were together by the episodes. She guessed they were trying to downplay it if they were together because she guessed they just might have a big a following as she and her Freddie. It was too bad that they weren't as open about it because then she could backtrack to exactly when she got together with Freddie by seeing how they interacted on the show.

She shivered for a moment in wondering how their WebiCon turned out.

There was an additional web-segment that caught her eye: 'The Sassmaster'. She clicked on the video and watched as her mother was dressed in a woman's business suit sitting behind a desk and looking with a stern face into the camera. Carly could hear Sam shout out from behind the camera an excuse a teenager would make to a teacher and her mother would comeback with a really sassy remark that a teacher wish he or she could really say to their students.

Carly whistled at some of the remarks and wondered how her mother kept her job when Franklin was fired that one time for far less. She took a moment to wonder how that was like to have her mother as a teacher while going to Ridgeway. She snorted out a laugh and wondered how it was like when Principal Franklin was fired for a few days. Did Mister Howard and Miss Briggs become co-principals? Or could her mom have been principal for a while? She was certainly there as long as Briggs and Howard, maybe even longer.

She blew out a breath as the more she dug the more questions she found than answers.

Carly was definitely sure about one thing: she may have been called sassy, but after watching several segments, she knew she was just the student and her mother was the master. She smiled at the idea that her mother had remained an art teacher and Ridgeway. Most of the comments to those segments were quite positive and some viewers wished that she was their teacher.

The web-hostess shook her head then quickly went through the some of the pictures that were posted on the site. None of them showed that they had been to Troubled Waters or that Sam and Freddie had dated. So she guessed the lock-in at school was pretty uneventful.

She couldn't find any sign that this Carly had dated Steven, but a lack of pictures of him didn't really indicate anything as she didn't have any pictures of Steven on her site afterwards, not even so people could make negative comments. The Seattle native starting looking through her and the rest of their blogs and blew out a breath at seeing that this Carly had made some comments about dating Steven, but it looked like she hadn't dated him as long.

She minimized the window as their blogs weren't any more informing than theirs back home then started looking through some of her folders. Some were just some school work and other odds and ends that were identical to the ones on her computer. She found the folder of videos and started exploring it. Some were files of segments for iCarly, but one caught her eye. The file was titled: 'Junior Prom'.

Carly whispered with evident curiosity in her voice, "Junior Prom?"

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><p>Author's Notes: I just wanted to point out a few things in this chapter.<p>

I assume that Spencer and Carly actually have some Air Force clothing, T-Shirts, hoodies, those sort of things, but we don't see them wear them on the show for the same reason you won't see any of the characters wear clothing with name brands on them or sports teams: the Air Force symbol is a copyrighted logo and not in the public domain.

For some reason in the show we are to find it funny that Carly is surprised and depressed that no one asked her to the junior prom. Taking into account iParty with Victorious, Victorious timeline and their own prom, Carly would have broken up with Steven fairly close to when Ridgeway would have had their prom. Heck, according to Carly's blog on she was dating Steven during the time they would have had their prom, so of course no one else would have asked her.

About Ridgeway, for the Seddie Arc to work, Ridgeway had to switch over to a year round school as in iOMG the lock in was for them to work on their _final projects _for the year, yet they are still going to school during the entire arc which started three days later after the episode and happened in real time. It really is a goof on Dan's part, but that's the way it works and that is the only logical conclusion for it to work. It's also why this story is starting on August 6, 2011 since for high schoolers in King County, Washington's last day were June 23, 2011.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I see I've had a few questions about the timeline. It's a long explanation that would bore you to tears as Freddie explaining what he did at camp to Sam if I told you how I reached my conclusions about it. In double checking something, I went back to the earlier chapters to fix the date to Saturday, August 20, 2011. That is the date for this story so far.

Thanks to all that read and reviewed.

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Carly Shay's Room  
>Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

The brunette took a deep breath as she thought back on that no one had asked her to Junior Prom, but that shouldn't have surprised her in hindsight as she had only broken up with Steven about two weeks before the prom and there wasn't really anyone left to ask her out… Freddie had not even bothered to ask her. She wasn't exactly sure how she should feel about him not asking. Maybe he just didn't want to hear her reject him again.

She suppressed that thought as she let her curiosity take over and double clicked the file to view the video.

She swallowed nervously as she looked at the video. Her mother was apparently holding the camera so that her face was filling the frame. She laughed softly as she announced, "Well, tonight's the night and my baby girls are going to their Junior Prom."

"Mama is ready to party!" Carly could hear Sam shouting from behind her mother. Taylor turned the camera away from her face to capture Sam standing mid-way up the stairs then somehow bounced down the stairs while wearing her V-neck red dress, heels and blonde curls bounced on her shoulders.

Her mother laughed as she commented, "Don't party too hard and watch what you drink."

Sam rolled her eyes and responded in a placated tone, "I will."

"You look beautiful sweetheart. The other girls are going to be jealous that their dates will try to leave them for you."

Sam snorted out a laugh, "Thanks Mrs. Shay."

She gave Sam a one arm hung and whispered loud enough for the camera to pick up what she said, "You're welcome sweetheart."

Taylor turned her camera to a nervously pacing Freddie waiting by the elevator. Carly had to hand it to this Freddie; he sure knew how to dress sharply with his tux. It fit him far better than the one he wore when they attended the wedding in Minnesota with a black under vest, black necktie and slightly longer jacket. The older brunette suggested, "You need to take a breath Freddie."

He gave a forced laugh as he responded, "I'm nervous, okay?"

There was a hint of mischievousness in Taylor's voice as she answered, "What's there to be nervous about? You're only going to the junior prom with the girl you've been in love with since you were eleven."

Carly could hear Spencer in the background of the recording calling out, "I don't think that's helping mom."

"Right! Helping, I'm supposed to be helping," she laughed out in an almost childlike manner.

Carly smiled as she heard the playfulness in her mother's voice. Her mother still had that childlike quality about her that she had remembered about her as a child even underneath the seriousness. She and her father were the 'normal' ones while Spencer had gotten most of his qualities from their mother.

Freddie laughed and it looked like some of his tension was going along with it. "Thanks Mrs. Shay."

"You're welcome."

"It looks like I'm the last one," Carly heard her counterpart's voice off screen. Taylor whipped the camera around to the mid-stairs to show that version of Carly walking down the stairs with a bashful look on her face. She was wearing a navy blue formal strapless dress with a taffeta a-line skirt and her hair up.

Freddie walked into frame and smiled at the brunette. "Hi," he whispered bashfully.

She looked down for a moment with a hint of blush the camera was able to capture. The camera was barely able to pick up Carly whispering back, "Hi."

Freddie leaned forward and whispered something in Carly's ear, but the video didn't pick up what he spoke to her. The brunette blushed even more from what he had said then kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

Sam shouted in a desperate tone, "Oh don't start or we'll never leave!"

The couple turned and looked off camera with embarrassing expressions on their faces. The brunette watched as they turned away from the camera and headed for the elevator.

Taylor called out as Sam caught up with them at the elevator, "You have a good time and keep track of your drinks. You don't want anyone slipping anything into them."

Freddie turned and looked towards his mother and not into the camera. "I'll keep an eye on them. How did the Colonel keep the guys away from you Mrs. Shay?"

Taylor gave an embarrassing laugh as she looked to the camera and answered, "Well, we were already married and I was a little more than two months pregnant with Spencer when I went to my senior prom, so the boys kept their distance."

"Oh, I'll protect him," Carly whispered and Taylor instantly whipped the camera back around to focus on her daughter who was wearing a grin as she looked on to Freddie. The couple shared another brief kiss then Sam shouted as she walked passed them into the elevator, "Come on lovebirds or I'm leaving you behind!"

Carly rolled her eyes the walked with Freddie towards the elevator with a wave over her shoulder towards the camera. "Bye."

Taylor shouted, "Don't forget the camera!"

The video picked up with Freddie holding the camera and filming them arriving at the school and meeting up with Gibby and Brad along with passing views of Shane, Wendy and a few others she recognized.

Carly watched for a few minutes as Freddie and Sam giving the camera back and forth to one another to record the happenings at the prom before cutting off.

The video picked up again of the Carly of this world sitting down at one of the tables at the prom. She was laughing and waving a hand to try to get whoever was holding the camera to turn it away from her.

"Freddie!" she called out in a playful manner.

"Alright, alright," he relented from behind the camera and sat it down on the table yet remained pointing at her with her in the frame from the neck down. "I just wanted to get the highlights of the night."

"Taking a break from dancing is not a highlight of the night," she playfully admonished.

"I can't exactly film us dancing, but any moment with you is a highlight."

She giggled as she replied, "Now you're just sweet talking me."

"Sweet talk such a sweet girl? Never," Carly could hear him finished with a soft laugh off screen.

Freddie leaned forward to come into frame and that Carly leaned forward as well so their lips met. They exchanged soft kisses for a few seconds until Freddie pulled away as a slow dance song could be heard starting in the background. He looked like he took one of the other Carly's hands below what the camera was recording and the Carly in the recording smiled at Freddie.

He asked, "Care for another dance?"

"Absolutely," she replied in the tone Carly remembered giving her Freddie when he had asked her to dance in the Groovy Smoothie after the Girl's Choice dance.

Carly saw a quick motion with Freddie's fingers reach over and turn the camera off.

The video started again with Sam speaking and the frame showing the other Carly and Freddie slow dancing and resting their foreheads against one another as they slowly swayed to the music, "You can thank me later Carls for getting this shot." Sam remained silent as she focused on the dancing couple for the next few minutes.

Carly swallowed and tried to clear her throat as she watched the two just enjoy each other's company. She flashed back in her own mind when she realized how safe she was in Freddie's arms that night that had turned out so lousy until that moment. Was that what the other Carly was feeling as she was with the guy she obviously cared about? Safe? Loved?

She was about to just click the video off as she didn't want to deal with those feelings, but the scene then cut to the other Carly recording Sam and Freddie sharing a quick slow dance then to another scene of various people saying their goodbyes as they were leaving the prom. She wasn't sure who was holding the camera as she heard Sam in the background calling out, "Mama is all partied out. I need to get some real food."

The picture cut again to what appeared to be Carly's bedroom in the background with the other Carly filling the screen. Carly could hear some music playing in the background that she thought sounded like Big Time Rush as the native Carly blew out a breath and started, "Freddie, it's about two thirty in the morning and Sam has crashed on the couch after stuffing her face with food—" she turned the camera to show Sam resting on the couch in the room, "—and you're…" She turned the camera to show a lying Freddie on his back asleep beside her on her bed. "…asleep on my bed."

The other brunette turned the camera back around to focus on her face. She let out a nervous laugh then cleared her throat to keep the emotion from overwhelming her voice, "You've made this a wonderful night Freddie Benson… I love you and when we wake up in the morning, I'm going to tell you," she finished with a hopeful smile. "I think we've both waited long enough for me to say those words to you." Carly's counterpart smiled one last time as she finished, "But in the meantime, I don't think you'll mind if I use you for a pillow." She clicked the camera off and the video ended.

Carly took a deep breath then looked down at her desk. Her prom was nowhere near as fun as what was depicted on the screen. Quite frankly it was kind of depressing as she felt kind of ostracized as apparently some of the guys were afraid that she might do the same as she did to Steven if they slipped up even if he had deserved it. Sam had been mostly a wallflower and Freddie was the only one that looked like he had a good time with chatting up and dancing with plenty of girls as they still hadn't forgotten about his portrayal of Fredward Cullen.

The video actually put her in a sadden mood by inevitably causing her to compare her own life with the other Carly's life. Other than having her mother, this Carly was happy with a boyfriend that cared about her and caused her to ask the inevitable question: 'What happened to get this Carly with that Freddie?"

She was so deep in thought trying to put the pieces together she had so far that she didn't initially hear her door slightly open. She was pulled out of mentally putting the puzzle when she heard Sam behind her ask with a concerned voice, "I thought you were taking a nap?"

Carly snapped her head around and her mouth started opening and closing like a fish.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I'm shocked by the response I've gotten to this story so far. I can't thank everyone enough for reading and taking the time to review. Have a little patience with me as we will be getting to the Creddie interaction soon enough, but... I'll just let you read.**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

"Ah… I ah…" Carly stuttered as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation of why she was going through the other girls stuff until she realized that this Sam thought she was her Carly. The brunette let out tired breath. "I just can't sleep."

Sam crossed the room then had a seat on the one armrest of the couch so she could face Carly. She let out a quick whistle and gave the brunette a sympathetic look. "Whatever that nightmare was, it really messed you up didn't it?"

Carly broke eye contact and looked off to the side towards the Sam's legs and neighboring chair. "You could say that,"

Sam gave a quick nod then pointed to the monitor. "So what were you watching?"

Carly motioned her head over her shoulder and tried to speak in a nonchalant tone, "Ah… the Junior Prom video."

Sam softly laughed. "Trying to make yourself feel better?"

The brunette could only nod as she felt that was the only safe option.

"I'm just glad you finally wised up and got with him before the prom."

Carly tried to give a neutral expression because she would have been shooting in the dark if she responded in any other manner.

Sam gave a quick roll of her eyes. "Come on Carls, your choice in guys 'til Freddie weren't exactly the best… Jake, Griffin, Cort… Steven."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, oh…" the blonde laughed out. "Jake couldn't run fast enough back to his girlfriend after we let him sing on the show. Griffin? Ohhh… when you asked your mom how she could disapprove of your bad boy when she married hers before she even graduated high school… What did she say?" Sam snapped her fingers then tried to shift her voice to sound something like Taylor's voice, "That boy's no Steven Shay. He was a bad boy, not a _delinquent_. Your dad actually paid for his motorcycle not stole one." Sam laughed, "I think she was relieved that you broke up with him over the Pee-Wee babies even if she thought it was a little shallow on your part."

The brunette snapped out of instinct, "My bad boy collected Pee-Wee babies!"

"Which was still a shallow reason to dump him 'til we realized how obsessed he was with them the time the power went out and everyone had to hold up here to escape the heat… did you see how fast he ran when I chucked the penguin across the apartment? Dump him because he might get arrested? Sure, but Pee-Wee babies? Like your mom said, we all have our odd hobbies."

The brunette wanted to try to defend herself even if this Sam was not talking about her, but didn't see the point. Saying she was fourteen at the time really didn't seem like a viable defense against the charge of being shallow.

The pair remained silent for a few seconds until Carly prodded the blonde in the hopes that Sam would continue, "You were going down the list of my lousy choices before Freddie."

"Right, then there was Cort… a nice specimen, but he was as dumb as brick. 'Army Material' as your dad joked."

"You liked him too," Carly snapped back without thinking. She quickly shut her mouth and her eyes opened up as she realized she didn't know if this Sam had been all over Cort as her Sam had been with her.

The dirty blonde snorted out, "You got me there, but you saw him. He was built like Freddie."

"Right?" she went along, but wasn't sure exactly what Sam meant with the comment. Carly allowed an awkward smile to form as she wasn't sure how to respond to that comment. "Then there was Steven…" Carly whispered in the hopes of getting the blonde to reveal anything about that relationship.

Sam blew out a breath. "Steven… I almost feel sorry for him."

Carly raised an eyebrow showing her confusion before she could stop herself.

Fortunately, Sam stuttered out an answer and motioned her left hand towards her as if she had said something wrong, "You know… about how bad Freddie beat the fudge out of him after you saw for yourself that Steven was two-timing you with Tori." Sam shook her head and whistled for a moment. "For a few seconds there, I didn't think Beck and André were going to be able to pull him off of Steven." Sam winced as she finished, "Poor Beck, Freddie gave him a real shiner to the eye with that snap of his elbow." She shook her head slightly. "Any other guy and you _know_ Jade… but it was Freddie, so…"

Carly nodded as if she knew what the blonde was talking about with 'but it was Freddie' then spared a glance to the thumbtack board and the pictures of her and Jade, especially the picture taken when they were younger. Another weird mystery in this universe.

"Then there was the back of the hand slap to Robbie when he tired to help." Sam laughed as apparently she found a thought funny then shared it, "At least it got Rex to stop hitting on you."

"Right… Rex…" she uttered while thinking about the puppet. That must have been an interesting encounter for her counterpart with the puppet making passes at her.

"Hey, that's what Steven gets for cheating on you and underestimating Freddie. Thinking Freddie being all 'nerdy' was some kind of advantage in a fight."

Carly instantly thought back to when she used that exact reason to stop her Freddie from going after Steven. Apparently her counterpart didn't give Freddie that same reason or they didn't actually share that same opinion. She meekly responded, "It's not that odd of an idea…"

The dirty blonde snorted out a laugh, "Now you're just messing with me. We're not talking about some scrawny, pocket protector, tape around the center of the glasses with his voice a few pitches too high nerd; we're talking about Freddie. It's kind of morbid to say, but him running in front of that taco truck for you was probably one of the best things that has happen to him. I don't need to explain that to you. How many times have you seen Freddie without his shirt on?"

The blush instantly contrasted against the pale coloration of the girl's face.

Sam raised her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything. I know Spencer likes giving you a hard time because he thinks you and Freddie will follow in your parents' footsteps, but I know you two aren't… you know."

Carly cleared her throat and nodded long then her mouth broke into a crooked smile.

Sam leaned forward and patted a hand on one of Carly's knees. "You know what I think will make you feel better?"

The brunette asked in a distracted tone, "What's that?"

Sam stood up from the armrest and replied, "Go get yourself all dolled up then call Freddie over so you two can spend some time together. It's been six weeks since you've seen your guy. That nightmare really must have messed you up with not jumping him the first thing."

She nervously let out, "Sure. That sounds like a great idea. What about you?"

Sam blinked at the question and the tone in her voice carried her question expression, "You know that mama's never had a problem of keeping herself occupied."

The web-hostess let out a soft laugh, "Just don't do anything to get arrested."

"Get arrested?" Sam's brow furled as she looked to Carly completely bewildered why the teenager would say such a thing. "What could I do to get arrested?"

Carly's jaw dropped as she found another surprising difference between their lives. "Poor attempt at humor."

"Right… go see your man. Freddie might, but I'm not pulling your weight in the humor department."

"Okay… let me head for the bathroom."

"Later Carls," she responded as she turned then headed out of the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the brunette blew out a breath and attempted to process all of what Sam unknowingly revealed. Sam's talk was a real eye opening experience about some of the differences about their worlds, especially in regards to her relationship with Freddie. At least she found out a general time of when this Carly and Freddie got together, but not the exact circumstances. Did this Carly see how much Freddie cared about what happen and decided to give him a chance? Her Freddie didn't care any less, but she didn't decide to start dating him. She had buried the hurt while just weeks later he and Sam decided to start dating after the lock-in.

Maybe her mother knew? Her mother… She grabbed the side of her head and closed her eyes. The differences were becoming too much and she didn't know how she could juggle both: the chance to see what life was with her mom here and being with Freddie.

She blew out a breath then got up from her seat to head for the bathroom and give her a chance to digest everything she had experienced in just about the last hour and a half.

Chapter 7

Carly stopped at the top of the stairs to see that her mother was sitting on the steps just before the bend in the stairs. Carly could see from her position that the older brunette was holding a drawing pad on her lap and shading in some kind of picture with a colored pencil.

"Do you mind if I just sit and watch?"

She gave her a warm smile and shook her head. "No."

"What if you had died?"

Taylor let out a slow breath. "You would have your father and Spencer."

"He's always gone though—"

"That doesn't mean he loves you any less,"

"Would you teach me how to draw a bunny?"

Taylor smiled and gave her a slight nod of her head. She flipped the sheet over the top of the pad.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Hey everyone. Another installment for you. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Carly blew out a breath as she wiped away the condensation off her fogged over bathroom mirror. She had just stepped out of the shower and her pink fuzzy robe felt comfortable on her skin as she was glad that was one thing the same that she shared with this Carly. She ran her fingers through her hair to untangle her still somewhat damp hair that she had gave a quick, vigorous drying with a towel while her other hand opened the mirror door.

"I hope you don't mind me borrowing some of your vitamins… assuming you actually exist and this is actually real," she mumbled to herself as she searched for the vitamins.

Carly's brow furled as she saw a small container sitting with her vitamins she didn't recognize in her mirror cabinet. She picked it up and took a quick glance at some of the writing. The printed text of 'Birth Control' nearly slapped her in the face. She blinked then reread the label. She swallowed nervously as she slowly sat the container down. She wondered if this Carly and Freddie were planning to… as a way to celebrate him coming home or maybe they were already…

She whispered to the room, "Okay, one secret I didn't want to know that about you. I'm not going to borrow that pill." She took a few moments to take the vitamins that matched what she usually took in her native universe and used the familiar small Girly Cow resting in the cabinet to wash them down with a quick fill of water from the faucet.

The damp haired brunette closed the mirror cabinet and took a moment to look at her reflection, but in her mind she wasn't seeing her reflection; she was seeing the other Carly. "Do you realize how lucky you are?"

She stood there for a few moments half expecting an answer from her reflection until she realized how silly she was for her to wait for such a thing. She shook her head then commented off handedly as she went back to the bedroom she was borrowing, "Now let me see what else I can borrow from you."

About twenty minutes later borrowing some clothes from her counterpart, Carly stopped at the top of the stairs to see that her mother was sitting on the steps just before the bend in the stairs. Carly could see from her position that the older brunette was holding a drawing pad on her lap and shading in some kind of picture with a colored pencil.

"What are you working on?"

Taylor looked over her shoulder and smiled up to a version of her daughter. She turned her body slightly to show the drawing pad. She was in the middle of drawing what to be storm clouds of various shades of dark blue, gray and black. "I'm drawing the storm."

Carly slightly frowned at seeing the smile that she had missed out on over the last ten years.

"Cupcake?" Taylor smile faded and was replaced with a look of concern.

The younger brunette shook her head and replied, "Nothing."

The artist moved the pack of color pencils from beside her to her feet then patted the seat beside her. "Have a seat. Watch your mama do what she's good at. You haven't watched me in a while. It might make you feel better?"

The teenager eagerly nodded and had a seat beside her on the step as to not raise the woman's suspicions but to also take advantage of the opportunity to see something she had missed out on seeing most of her life.

Taylor turned back to her picture and started back on to shading a dark storm cloud on the top left corner of the pad.

Carly saw the same playfulness on her face as on Spencer's face when he worked on his projects. Spencer was an artist in this world too she remembered from reading about his exposes beside the fact that some of his art was strung around the apartment along with what she assumed were this woman's pieces that she got to complete that her mother never had the chance to create.

She wondered what the two of them had created together in this world. A more humorous thought crossed her mind about if there were any rivalry stories when it came to their art.

It looked like her older brother got far when there was someone there to support his ambition as an artist. It wouldn't be a fair conclusion to say that her father didn't support Spencer since as far as they knew their father didn't know Spencer was an artist. Her Spencer had kept their father in the dark about what he was doing… okay he was outright lying to their father and she went along with it, so it wouldn't be fair to judge him about his lack of support. '_You can't really support something you don't know about?'_

This version of her father she guessed really didn't have a problem with it and if he had, he wasn't apparently openly disagreeing with it. Could he really disagree with it? He had married an artist before they even got out of high school. Her parents were so different, yet they made it work in this universe as they had for the nearly twenty-one years they had in her world and in this one they were already over the thirty year mark of marriage. Were they with the person they had imagined they would be with when they were in high school? Did they each expect something different before meeting each other? Did she ever expect to be with Freddie?

'_You're not with Freddie, she is!' _a thought snapped across her mind.

The brunette didn't have the chance to argue with herself as the artist not taking her eyes off of her painting as she asked, "Did you have a nice nap?"

Carly shrugged a shoulder and hesitantly answered, "I couldn't get back to sleep. I was just goofing off on-line."

She gave a quick nod as she started outlining another cloud. "As long as it made you feel better."

"It did… I was watching the Junior Prom video."

A smile formed on Taylor's lips as she started coloring the new cloud. "That was a nice night… you were so happy. You finally realized that the one you were looking for was there all along."

"Why was I so blind?" She wasn't exactly sure who she was asking about: her or the other Carly.

Taylor looked away from her pad and directly into matching brown eyes. "You told him he had to get over his little crush with you when you two were thirteen, but he could don't it, so I told him he had to make a choice: hide it or walk away from you, but he just couldn't keep pestering you or try to do something passively. I hated saying that to him as it might have broken his little heart, but… Marissa wasn't mother enough to do it and it wouldn't be healthy to either of you or any friendship you could form. So, he made his choice and you didn't see it because he didn't want you to see it. He was afraid he'd lose you over it."

Carly tried to take a moment to comprehend the idea that this Freddie had at least on the surface taken her request to get over his little crush just before they started iCarly. How had their friendship developed when he was never openly jealous of the guys she tried to be with or him never making awkward passes at her? That wasn't even taking into account how apparently accepting Sam was with Freddie and vice versa. She didn't even think before asking, "How did you know he really didn't just get over me before we started dating?

The older brunette gave an embarrassing smile. "Because… no matter how much he buried it so he could be your friend, he always looked at you like your father looks at me."

Carly looked down at her knees and wrapped her arms around her shins.

Taylor let out a soft laugh, "I wish I had been there to watch him finally confess to you how he really feels about you…"

The younger brunette continued to stare at her knees as she mumbled, "I wish you were here too…"

"What?" she asked softly and in a childlike tone.

Carly snapped her head up and answered a little too quickly to her own ears, "Nothing."

Taylor gave her a perplexed expression. "Okay… as much as I'm enjoying this mother/daughter time, shouldn't you be off seeing Freddie or him coming over here?"

The web-hostess thought about those two choices: one was quite appealing to continue and the other one was a little scary after this conversation and what she found in the other Carly's medicine cabinet. She went with the choice she felt she'd only get one shot at having and if this Freddie really loved Carly (which she had very little doubt), he'd understand why he would have to wait. "Yeah, but… I think he can wait just a little longer… would you teach me how to draw a bunny?"

Carly didn't know what the other brunette would really think about that request, but Taylor just smiled and gave her a slight nod of her head. She flipped the sheet over the top of the pad then scooted closer to Carly so they could share the pad between their laps. Taylor reached down to pick up a black pencil then placed it in Carly's hand.

The bandana wearing teacher let out a soft giggle and started, "Okay, we start with…"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Happy Friday everyone. I hope everyone had a nice week and will have a nice weekend.

I had a question about whether this was taking place in the same universe as my other story iOMG it's Another Universe. The answer is no, similar, but not the same. In that story, Taylor is a continuing interpretation from my series of stories that began with iCarly's Father while this is a slightly different one with Tina Fey in the role of an adult Mrs. Shay. Also in that story, Spencer is ten years younger and dating Sam. I can't explain any more differences without possibly spoiling future chapters of this story.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. It means a lot.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

Carly shifted her weight slightly back and forth between her feet as she waited for the Benson Apartment door to open. She glanced quickly at the plaque that showed the apartment number and noticed that it was correct one. As she waited for the door to open, she let her mind briefly wondered how the whole 'Hammer' situation played out in this world with the correct plate beside the door.

The red tinted brunette opened the door and gave a guarded smile towards Carly. "Hello Carly,"

The teenager gave an equally hesitant smile as she replied, "Hello Mrs. Benson."

She gave a polite nod and allowed the teenager inside the apartment.

Carly instinctively slipped her shoes off to rest by the door.

Mrs. Benson raised a curious eyebrow while looking at the brunette.

The teenager noticed the perplexed expression on the Benson matriarch's face. Carly slowly asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just unexpected for you to take your shoes off."

Carly gave a small shrug of a shoulder the whispered out, "Habit." Carly gave a small wave then headed for Freddie's room.

Mrs. Benson allowed a slight frown to form on her face and mumbled, "Habit?"

* * *

><p>The door to her Tech-Producer's room was slightly a jarred and she could hear some sound affects even over the continuing downpour outside. She softly pushed the door opened with her fingertips and stood at the threshold of the bedroom door as Freddie was immersed on something on his computer with headphones over his ears and a mic in front of his lips.<p>

She gently knocked on the open door to catch his attention.

Freddie sat up in his chair and turned to see the brunette standing at his door. He tapped a few keys on the keyboard without looking then pulled the headset from off his head and placed it down on his desk. "Hey," he beamed at her.

"Hi," she whispered softly and couldn't help to smile in return.

He pointed to the monitor. "Just getting some overdue World of Warlords in while you were sleeping. It's been a while, you know?"

She gave an understanding nod.

The brown eye teenager pushed off of his chair to stand up and quickly crossed the distance between them. He gently took her hips in his palms and leaned forward gently kissed her lips.

She was caught off once again even if she should have expected the gesture from the native Freddie. The brunette's eyes closed and she reached up to rest her hands on his biceps as her mind flashed back to the gentle kisses that she had shared with her Freddie that night after helping out of the shower then the gentle ones the night he broke up with her. Those kisses left a bittersweet taste in her mouth, but not the ones she was sharing with version of her friend. She should feel guilty for kissing him as she was fooling him into thinking she was his Carly, but it was only a lingering guilt at let herself get lost in the moment.

He was the first to pull back and meet her eyes with a grin. "Did you have a nice nap?"

The question snapped her back to reality and she stumbled on her words, "I ah… I just couldn't sleep. My mom was teaching me how to draw a bunny."

Freddie gave her a sympathetic smile. "Finally getting around to learning how to draw that bunny?"

She gave a brief nod and let a small smile play on her face then Freddie continued, "That nightmare must have really gotten to you."

She blew out a regretful breath as she mumbled, "You don't understand half of it."

"You want to tell me about it?"

She felt lost for a few moments as she debated on the answer.

He pulled away from her and released her hips then he took a seat on the bed and swung his leg up onto the bed so he was in a seated position with his back to the headboard. He patted the spot on his left as if to offer her the place to sit.

She blinked and swallowed down the sudden feeling of anxiety. She was really hoping this was not leading up to what he wanted… or what this Carly really wanted if the little surprise in the medicine cabinet and Spencer's opinion (even if it was just playful according to the native Sam) about his sister held any validity.

He tilted his head to the side as he gave her a concerned look at her hesitation to have a seat.

She slightly shook her head then had a seat next to him on the bed. He slipped his arm under her arm and rested his left palm on her hip and she had to suppress a questioning expression she knew wanted to form on her face. She had to remind herself that this must have been perfectly natural behavior for the pair.

Carly took a slow breath as she tried to relax in his grip. She and her Freddie didn't really get a chance to really cuddle during their short romance because of his injuries and Mrs. Benson's watchful eye.

She rested on him for a few moments that felt like they stretched out to minutes. The time may have turned into minutes as she relaxed into his arms and found another momentary refuge from this strange world.

"I dreamt my mother had died," she whispered in a regretful tone.

Freddie pulled her tighter to him and she clenched some of his shirt in her left hand.

"She died when I was seven. Dad went off to war and Spencer more or less raised me—"

He gently pressed his lips to her forehead then whispered, "I'm sorry."

The brunette had to blink to try to suppress the stinging sensation behind her eyes as a sign of oncoming tears. "So am I…"

Freddie waited patiently for the teenager in his arms he believed was his girlfriend.

"The world was quite different… Spencer's an artist, but he's a little more distracted and it's hard to get people to recognize his work. You and Sam go at it like cats and dogs. You two just… you just can't get along. You always fight… she always starts it, so you two can never stop," she admitted to him and finally to herself. She slightly frowned as she thought on how they went at it even when they were together and they were suppose to love each other. It had gotten so bad that Freddie would actually start fights with Sam when they were together. _How did these two get along? How did these two get along far better as friends than her friends when they were couple?_

Freddie chuckled, "I guess the dream version of me was never told to just give her a bloody nose when we were thirteen to get her to stop?"

Carly lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked down at him with a questioning look.

Freddie shook his head with a playful smile on his lips then gave her a quick peck on the right cheek. He met her eyes once more then continued with a playful voice, "Oh don't give me that look. It worked for you. You shoving her to the ground and taking back your sandwich from her when you were eight stopped her from _ever _bullying you."

"But—but, she's a girl?"

Freddie threw his head back and let of a hearty laugh. He took a few breaths to calm down then continued, "A girl? So what? She was a bully and you know how your mother feels about bullies. It was the one thing Sam wouldn't listen to your mother about, so I did what you mother told me to do: give Sam a bloody nose. Sam may practically live over there now, but when we were thirteen, there wasn't a lot your mom could do to stop Sam if Sam really wanted to do something. She couldn't exactly ground her and it wasn't like she could ever cutback on giving Sam food when she was hungry. It's not like serving detention with your mom is exactly punishment. Like I said, it worked for you and Sam and it turned out to work for us to get on equal footing."

Carly rested her head back on his shoulder as she could avert from looking at his eyes.

Freddie gave her a gentle squeeze with the arm around her and whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were still upset about it after all these years."

She took in a soft breath. "I guess I didn't realize what could have happened… that you two would just keep up the never ending fighting to the point where she would hit you to get her to agree with her." She heard her mother's voice in her head, which startled her for a moment: '_And you thought it was cute if Sam avoided his face when she hit him during their relationship?'_

Freddie felt her tense for a second and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He laughed off his questions, "Hit me? I'd let her hit me? Your dream self would let her hit me? Wow, how did that work with us as a couple?"

Carly gave an apprehensive frown. "Actually… we weren't together… you actually had just broken up with Sam."

Freddie blew out a sharp breath then looked to her looked to her with a questioning expression. "Wait? Break up with _that Sam_? A Sam you just said I constantly fought against because she never stopped bullying me and would actually hit me? Wow, I guess I was a pretty pathetic guy in your dream to date someone like that."

Carly tried to clear her throat as she wondered why Freddie actually gave Sam a chance as neither was ever open to exactly why he dated the blonde. She looked up and met his eyes again as she offered in a lame tone, "I guess you were just tired of being alone… and you love her."

"Alone and loved her?" he questioned with a playful smile. "If all other things being equal I could have gotten with a far better girl than that Sam to love and would love me back. I could have gotten with Cat or Tori or Trina years ago. Heck, you and I still know if we weren't together I'd still have a decent chance at Jade even with Beck if I took a run at her."

Carly gave him a questioning look.

"What? Jade likes nice guys. You know that."

The web-hostess nodded along to accept that he was right about what the other Carly was supposed to know.

"But Sam loves you… that Sam loves that Freddie," she quickly corrected to keep up the charade that she was talking about a dream.

"Apparently not if she'll hit me while dating me. It's not like any of us would believe any guy hitting his girlfriend if he said he loved her. If Griffin had turned out to be a real delinquent and actually hit you while you two dated, do you think any of us would have believed him if he said he loved you? It would have been a race between Spencer and me as to who would kill him first… assuming your dad wasn't home at the time."

The brown eye teenager blew out a breath and shook his head. "Besides, if I was just desperate to be with someone, how many local fans do I have would give up their virginities to me just for a chance to be my girlfriend?"

The brunette gave him a shocked expression. His phrasing about what the girls would give him brought to the forefront of her mind as to whether her counterpart and this Freddie had exchanged them and if he expected for them to go further than just cuddling for tonight.

Her thoughts didn't go much further as he snorted out a laugh then kissed her nose. "I love it when you get jealous. It makes me feel wanted."

He continued to give her that warm smile as he looked her straight into the eyes. "I'm sorry to laugh Carls. What you describe is just really out there, but I can see why it would be a nightmare to live in: your mother's in Heaven. Your dad sounds like he's burying himself in his career to cope with losing your mom. Spencer's an unappreciated artist. Sam sounds like just a mean bitch. I'm a pathetic coward that's so desperate to be with a girl that I'd willing go into a domestic abuse relationship with obviously nobody saying anything about it and to top it off, we're not together. Thank God you woke up from that. I can see why you didn't want to go back to bed."

Carly frowned and her eyebrows furled as her blood started to boil at listening to this Freddie gleefully trash her life. However, her blood instantly ran cold at hearing him casually comment as he apparently didn't catch her expression, "I'd hate to meet the Carly whose place you took in that dream… she sounds like a heartless girl…"


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Another hopefully enjoyable chapter for you. Thank you all that have read and reviewed.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

_Carly frowned and her eyebrows furled as her blood started to boil at listening to this Freddie gleefully trash her life. However, her blood instantly ran cold at hearing him casually comment as he apparently didn't catch her expression, "I'd hate to meet the Carly whose place you took in that dream… she sounds like a heartless girl…"_

Carly's jaw dropped and blinked a few times as she took a few moments to process what he had just said about _her_ and to try to form a response, but she was finally able to get out, "Why would you say that about m—her?"

Freddie shrugged his opposite shoulder then casually answered, "Well those dream versions of us are supposed to be friends even if they're not together right?"

"Yeah," she nodded unsure of where he was going with the question.

"Then what kind friend stands by and lets their friend get bullied? Not much of one if you ask me. I mean, the first person that would take a swing on you would be bloody mess on the floor by either me or Sam or if someone went at Sam, neither one of us would just stand by and let it happen. You take on one of us you take on all of us. It's always been that way. Remember that huge girl that was bullying people when Sam tried to date Pete? She pushed you to the ground at the Groovy Smoothie and what was the first thing you told Sam? 'Sam, rip her head off.' You know the rest of the story."

Carly slightly frowned as she couldn't come up with an immediate answer to defend herself and finally face that aspect of her life. No one had ever defended Freddie from Sam's treatment of him and he hadn't been able to hold his own against her for years until he started giving it back when they started dating. She hadn't defended Freddie from her behavior, far from it. She had went so far as to advocate to him when he finally did make a stand against Sam when he wanted to break up with her over the NERD camp sabotage that he should simply accept her behavior because she reluctantly said she loved him and that was just the way she was as a person.

The brunette felt a sinking feeling in her stomach when she remembered that when he tried to tell her how upset it made him for what Sam did to him, but she refused to even let him speak then demanded that he outright forgive Sam on the spot for what she did to him.

'_Why shouldn't he?'_ the question in her own voice whispered in her head. _'You accept it when Sam has screwed up things for you. It's just the price of being friends with her. Why shouldn't Freddie do the same if he wants to be her friend?'_

Her mother's voice countered in a soft whisper in her mind, _'When did Sam sabotage your college plans or a _dream_ of yours?'_

The brunette's mouth opened ready to respond to the challenge in her mind, but Freddie was a bit quicker in speaking with a soft laugh to his voice, "Besides, she obviously doesn't care about Sam either if she's not trying to stop her from flushing her life down the drain, but it doesn't matter about some silly messed of dream version of you or Sam or me. You probably just ate one too many cupcakes last night your mom made when you came back from your trip to your granddad's. You remember the sugar crash you and Cat had the last time when you pigged out on homemade red velvet cupcakes?"

She nodded to his explanation for her 'dream' as she tried to keep the conflicted emotions off her face as his uniquely outside perspective and her own inner thoughts in her mother's voice forced her to look at her life in an entirely different light that wasn't exactly flattering to her.

He rolled his body to the side to face her and rested his forehead against her forehead. He whispered tenderly, "You're back home safe and sound from that screwy universe and those screwy versions of us and unlike that Freddie, you know that _I love you_."

Her questioning this Freddie's sincerity about his love for his Carly and his questioning of her Freddie was probably unfair, but she felt compelled to ask, "Even if you can get any other girl?"

Freddie smirked for a moment then chuckled, "You make it sound like I have something special. How many hundreds of guys showed up to want to take you to the Girl's Choice Dance after Sam's stunt on the show? They just want to get with the web-celebrity, Freddie Benson, not me. You want me for me and I want you for you."

Her facial expression apparently didn't convince him so he continued, "I guess I'll have to remind you of what I told you that night when you asked me why I would pound Steven into the ground…"

Kenan Thompson's Residence  
>Los Angeles, CA<br>Early April, 2011

Freddie stood with a deep frown etched on his face as he watched the girl he loved since he was eleven sitting on the bench and crying her eyes out with Sam's arms wrapped around her in an effort to comfort the distraught girl. Carly had barely gotten out her story about how she had found Steven sweet talking as Tori's boyfriend without either of them seeing her before the first tears started flowing.

He could see from the corner of his eye that Jade was looking sympathetic to the brunette and Beck was running a hand through his hair as he appeared to be just as lost as how to help.

Jade knelt down in front of Carly and whispered, "I'm sorry Carly."

Freddie closed his eyes and shook his head before turning to head out of the room.

Apparently the light brunette with blue and beige streaks in her hair teenager noticed that he was leaving and caught up with him enough to grab his arm. He turned his head to meet her fierce bluish/green eyes. She demanded in a tone that brokered no way of not answering her, "Where are you going?"

He matched her stern voice as he answered, "To teach Steven Carson why it was a mistake to make Carly Shay cry." He jerked his arm out of her grip and walked back into the party.

The pale teenager's eyes widened as only a fool would not understand his meaning.

The web-celebrity made his way through the partying crowd to find the two-timer. "Steven!"

The taller teenager turned away from Tori at hearing his name being called out by a familiar voice and blinked at seeing the Seattle native approach him.

"Freddie?" Tori asked perplexed why the Tech-Producer was in Los Angeles.

Steven cleared his throat. "Hey man… what'cha doing here?"

Freddie looked the taller teenager straight in the eyes and answered in a cold voice, "I'm here to beat the chizz out of you."

Tori's mouth dropped opened and she puttered out sounds for a moment before finally asking, "Why?"

Freddie didn't take his eyes off of Steven as he answered the brunette. "He's supposed to have one girlfriend at a time. It's either you or Carly, not both at the same time."

Tori turned her head to look at Steven. "What is he talking about?"

"I don't have a clue what he's talking about."

Freddie snapped, "Don't bother. Her believing me or not isn't going to change the fact that I'm going to plant your face into the ground."

Carson raised his hands and tried to speak calmly, "Freddie, let me explain."

"Explain what you two-timing son-of-a-bitch?"

Steven frowned at the insult and straightened his posture. "Freddie, you don't want to start something you won't be able to finish. Just go back to Seattle."

Freddie returned with a frown of his own and narrowed his gaze onto Steven as he took a step forward.

Steven shifted his weight between his feet as he cleared his throat before speaking, "Freddie, you can't beat me in any kind of fight. Face it: you're just a nerd."

Freddie smirked at him as he taunted the taller teenager, "Then why is your voice cracking?"

The Seattle native took another slight step forward which spooked Steven to react first and throw a wide right hook.

Freddie raised his left forearm and blocked the wide swing and countered with a right hook that sent Steven stumbling on his feet. The taller teenager found his footing just in time for Freddie to land a left/right combination to his face.

Steven stumbled back again, but was able to shack off the punches even if his jaw and cheeks were screaming in pain and raised is own fists up as Freddie closed with him.

The rest of the party goers immediately started backing away to give the two of them room to fight. Tori also had enough sense to back up as she was not going to try to jump in to stop the two guys from going at it.

Freddie had no intention of letting him recover as he pressed on another left/right combination with Steven only able to direct away the right fist, but the left cross connecting and sending him stumbling to his left and remaining on his feet.

Freddie powered through and clocked Steven again with a good right jab sending him stumbling backwards, but not without leaving an open for the taller teenager to finally get in a punch of his own with a right cross that jerked Freddie's head to the side.

Steven planted his feet to regain his balance as he shook his head clear and cheeked to see if he was bleeding from his noise (which he was and his lip already split).

The more muscular teenager slowly turned his face back to look at Steven then whispered, "I've been hit by a truck. You're going to need to do better than that."

Steven opened his eyes a little wider in surprise from the statement before Freddie charged him again with a right jab coming at his face. The taller teenager was able to shift his weight to his right foot and catch Freddie's under his left armpit and lock the arm in place and follow up with a right jab of his own.

Freddie's head snapped back for a moment, but he growled out then grabbed Steven by the collar with his left hand and pulled him close to head butted the taller teenager. Steven screamed from the shock and pain as he stumbled backwards, letting go of Freddie's arm and grabbing his forehead.

The shorter teenager stalked towards him a few steps when he felt a tug from his left shoulder. He snapped his head around to see one of Steven's L.A. friends deciding he wanted to help his buddy with pulling his fist back ready to sucker punch Freddie.

Freddie was quicker and slammed his fist hard under his sternum and knocking the wind out of him. While he was bent over, Freddie spun around him and grabbed the back of his collar and the belt of the other teenager and ran him to the bar and lifted him up enough to shove him over it and to the other side.

The brown eye teenager turned his head just in time to see Steven's left fist just before it collided with his jaw. Freddie's head snapped to the side and turned him enough to lean over the bar, but he kicked out and slammed one of Steven's knees.

He yelped in pain just before Freddie turned with his clenched right fist to backhand the taller teenager in the jaw.

Steven stumbled back from the impact to the face and his now aching knee.

Freddie pushed off the bar and growled enraged as he speared Steven just under his sternum with his right shoulder and lifted the taller teenager off of his feet. He carried the leaner teenager a few feet before slamming onto the ground then started letting his fist fly at Steven's face.

Freddie faintly heard Beck's and André's voice behind him, but paid little attention as he was determined to take some of Steven's teeth out as the blood was already flying from Steven's nose and mouth. He felt someone try to grab the back of his shirt and instinctively snapped back his arm. He felt the impact of his elbow colliding with something that turned out to be Beck's left eye and sending the longer haired teenager to the ground for a moment.

André shouted and grabbed Freddie from under his right armpit and over his left shoulder to try to pull Freddie off the downed teenager, "Come on Freddie! Let him up!"

Beck was on his feet after a quick shake of his head and was able grab Freddie's right arm. The actor shouted as he struggled to hold on to the arm that was determined to keep swinging on Steven, "Enough Freddie! Enough!"

Robbie came over attempting to help, but all he got for his troubles was Freddie throwing out his left hand and smacking Robbie in the mouth and nose, sending the curly haired teenager stumbling away.

The Los Angeles pair finally had to throw their body weight backwards to finally pull Freddie off the wheezing Steven.

Steven rolled to his side as he started coughing and sneezing up blood on the carpet while Freddie still struggled, kicking and screaming to get out of the pair's grip without deciding to hit them.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hello my dear readers. I hope Saturday has been treating you well. Here's another chapter that I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter 10<p>

Fifteen minutes later Freddie slowly walked back into the room that he had left Carly crying after washing some of Steven's blood off of his hands. The cheater's friends decided to take the wobbly teenager home while they still had the chance. Also fortunately, Kenan was a fan of iCarly and wasn't too upset about the blood Freddie had spilled on the carpet.

The Seattleite scanned the room to see that the rest of the Hollywood Arts students while avoiding meeting Carly or Sam's eyes.

Beck sat on a bench with Jade standing and holding a bag of ice to the side of her boyfriend's left eye socket. He gave the shorted teenager an understanding smile signaling everything was cool between them. Robbie had stuffed tissues up his nose to stop the bloody nose he had received with the back of Freddie's hand. Rex was shaking his head back and forth as he rested on Robbie's lap.

Tori looked to be the odd one out as she was unfortunately turned out to be the other girl, but she was just as much a victim as Carly and everyone remembered that fact. The thought that the only reason André pulled him off of Steven was because the songsmith wanted his own shot at the guy passed Freddie's mind.

Freddie finally met Carly's eyes and she was giving him a stern look with her bloodshot eyes.

He held a gaze in return as he wasn't intimidated by it or felt any shame that she may have been wanting him to feel.

Sam suggested as she looked between her friends, "I think maybe we should leave them alone for right now."

Jade readily agreed as her eyes darted between the pair, "That sounds like a very good idea." She patted Beck on the shoulder and he was the first to stand.

The teenagers started filtering out of the room, with Jade giving Freddie a soft pat on the arm and a supportive smile as she passed and he acknowledging her with a slight nod of his head, until only Freddie and Carly were standing across from one another in the room.

She tried to take a deep breath, but it hitched few times as she was still trying to calm down from her crying. "Why?"

If her question was to inspire doubt or second guessing his decision, it failed as he looked upon the dried tears on her cheeks and bloodshot eyes were a stark contrast to the beauty she always projected and it simply solidified his belief that his actions were correct. Freddie let out a breath and stared at the brunette as he contemplated the simple question. No lecture or longwinded demand for him to justify his actions, apparently she just wanted a simple explanation without dancing around with any sort of wordplay.

As she waited for his answer, Carly looked down and fiddled with the one of a kind bracelet on her left wrist that Steven had given to her… just like he had given Tori.

He spoke with a tired voice, but one filled with conviction, "Because I love you… I've always loved you. It's the reason I do anything for you and pounding Steven silly isn't any different."

Carly looked up and met his sympathetic eyes. She let out a relieved breath as she cracked her first smile since seeing her now ex with Tori.

He didn't mean for anything he said to be funny, but if it brought a smile to her face, than so be it.

She whispered back, "I love you too."

Freddie shook his head. "Not like I love you."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "Not like you?" She started to laugh, "What other way…" Her eyes widened as she saw the guarded expression he threw up. She shook her head and whispered with a hint of disbelief, "No, not like that. You… you got over your crush on me when you were thirteen."

He gave her a crooked smile, "Surprise?"

The brunette's jaw dropped and stared at him in disbelief. "You can't love me like that. You… you never said anything."

Freddie's brow furled and replied with a hint of indignation at the accusatory tone she used, "You were never interested in me. It was always some other guy that caught your attention: Jake, Shane, Griffin, Cort kinda… Steven, never me."

She looked to him with an expression of shock as she asked, "So you lied to me all these years?"

Freddie snapped back, "Yes, I lied to you."

Carly was a little a taken aback from his response, but remained silent as he continued, "It was either that or walk away and I didn't want to walk away, because your mom was not going to just let me chase you like a love sick puppy…" He paused for the briefest of moments before finishing, "Because she didn't want me to get hurt."

The web-hostess countered with a regretful tone, "It looks like you did that anyway."

He met her eyes and spoke with a firm voice, "Obviously not if you never picked up on the fact I always put you first to everyone else."

She whispered back sadly, "I did notice."

"What?"

Carly looked down at the floor. "I noticed. I noticed that you spend Valentines with me when I'm dateless when I know there were girls that would want to be with you. You stayed to help me put my Utopian city of the future back together instead of going out with Gibby's cousin. I noticed that you were more concerned about getting me a date to the Girls' Choice Dance than for yourself and a hundred other things I could spend the rest of the night recounting…" She looked up and smiled, "I should have just asked you to the dance to being with and saved us both the trouble."

Freddie cracked a smile. "You wanted a date, not an escort, that's why you didn't ask me."

"I didn't ask because I knew you'd say yes and I didn't want to deprive you of a date."

Freddie cracked a smile and shook his head. He let out a soft laugh as he commented, "The night still ended well."

"Yeah, it did," she agreed with a genuine smile that reached her eyes.

The pair stared at each other for a few moments before Carly finally spoke up, "So… you really love me? As in…"

He walked up to her and rested his hands on her hips as she naturally rested her hands on his biceps. He looked her straight in the eyes and whispered, "Yes and you know unlike the rest of them that I mean it… You've always had my heart." He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "I love you my Carly Shay."

She blinked a few times as the tears started to return then he kissed her forehead and whispered again, "I love you."

She reached up to lock her hands behind his neck and rested her head on his shoulder and crook of his neck as he moved his hands to the small of her back. He whispered to her, "It has…"

Benson Apartment  
>Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

"…always been you," Freddie finished his flashback then gave her a kick peck on her left cheekbone.

Carly cleared her throat as she tried to digest the story he expected her to already know. Shocked at how much this Freddie cleaned Steven's clock was an understatement for the brunette. The Freddie that was holding her didn't seem to be physically different from her Freddie or care anymore than her Freddie (she still hoped), so she regretfully had to realize that Steven may not have been able to pound him silly and owed her friend an apology. She guessed it wasn't the first time she had underestimated her friend…

She looked at his welcoming eyes and saw besides his words, that this Freddie was also totally devoted to his Carly. She had to suppress a shiver from the warm look he was giving her. It was the same look that Freddie had given her when they danced at the Groovy Smoothie, but turned up a few notches and the butterflies were starting to go in her stomach. If she was being honest to herself, so was her Freddie.

'_Could he still look at me that way even after all this time?' _

Carly had mulled over the fact that her own Freddie had put her first… except for when he was with Sam, as he should have, even if he got a little wonky during that time and turned into a little bit of a jerk. Sam really had the talent to bring the worst out of Freddie. Fortunately, he had snapped right back to his old self once the relationship was over.

A part of her could learn to resent the Freddie in front of her as he was inadvertently holding up a mirror to her life and it wasn't a pretty picture. He was waving a better life in her face with a guy that really loved and cared about her with one hand and rubbing all of her flaws and mistakes with the other and he didn't even know it.

She lost track of how long they stared at each other thinking totally different things when Freddie spoke up, "It's time to celebrate me coming home and I have an idea."

"An idea?" the brunette choked out. Her mind instantly thought about a particular item sitting on a shelf in her medicine cabinet. She stuttered out and cracked an awkward smile, "Wh-hat do you have in mind?"

He gave her a knowing smirk, "I haven't had any of Galini's Pie since I left. We should go get some."

A wave of relief washed over the brunette as he didn't suggest what a part of her mind was terrified he would suggest… but a smaller, more primal, reclusive crevasse of her mind was intrigued by the possibility. She shook away that idea and commented as she looked over her shoulder towards the window, "Oh… but it's raining."

Freddie let out a chuckle, "It's Seattle; it rains. Besides, you like kissing when it's raining." He gave her another kiss on the cheek then rolled off to his side of the bed and hunted for his tennis shoes under his bed. He quickly slipped them on and tied his shoes then headed for his closet.

Carly rolled off the side of the bed and stood up to wait for Freddie to retrieve a coat from the closet. Freddie snorted out a laugh as he put his arms through his jacket sleeves.

Carly slightly frowned and asked, "What's so funny?"

The brown eye boy shook his head and turned to face her as he straightened his jacket. "I just realized something. According to one interpretation of quantum mechanics, that universe you dreamed about is real…"

Carly clamped her mouth shut as her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"…I sure feel sorry for my alternate self. He sure has one chizzy life from the sound of it."


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone. I have another chapter for you and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for your continued readership and reviews.

Also, Snapplelinz has started a new story. It is a Victorious story titled: 'Keep on Running, Tori' and I would suggest that you take a read and review after you finish reading this installment.

Special Guest Voice Appearance by Joe Flanigan as Colonel Steven Shay.

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Galini's Pie Shop

Freddie's hair was a little wet as he ran his fingers through his short hair then wiped the hand off with a napkin before turning his attention to the two pieces of pie sitting in front of him: the famous coconut cream pie and a piece of strawberry pie.

Carly was sitting across from him at a circular table with a piece of coconut cream pie tempting her to consume it. She had fared far better going through the ran to reach the pie shop as she had gone back to her room to actually get a proper raincoat so only the tips of her hair were wet.

She was hesitant to try the pie (and a little guilty if she didn't since he insisted on paying) as with all the differences so far she had encountered in less the five hours she didn't know if this pie would be as good as her native pie. Fortunately with the first spoonful in her mouth, she wasn't disappointed with the captured Heaven in her mouth. After a few more bites, she commented out, "I hate to point this out, but we're going to spoil our lunch eating pie."

The Tech-Producer addressed her concern in a nonchalant tone, "So? I like spoiling you."

Carly leaned forward and narrowed her gaze at the brown eye boy as she teased, "Careful, I might get use to it and expect it in the future."

"I'll keep that in mind," he answered with a smirk then went back to one of his pieces of pie.

Freddie's left hand slid across to the center of the table and gently clasped Carly's left pointer and middle finger between his pointer finger and thumb and lazily ran his thumb pad over her fingers. She watched the affectionate gesture for a few moments then looked to Freddie and realized the he didn't appear to know what he was doing. Apparently the other Carly and Freddie were so comfortable together that Freddie didn't give it a second thought of the contact and didn't expect her to have any problem with the contact.

Freddie scooped out a piece his strawberry pie with his spoon then held up the spoon to Carly as she was finishing a bit of her coconut cream pie.

Carly tilted her head to the side and looked to him as if he was serious. She thought it was kind of a childish gesture on his part and wondered if this was how they started interacting after they got together. She realized that they may have acted that way even before getting together as their friendship had developed without the constant tension of Sam or his underlining romantic feelings for her counterpart. How much closer were they in this universe than her own? If his account of what happened at Kenan's house was true then this Carly didn't have any problem saying 'I love you' platonically to him when she had never uttered the phrase to him.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Just try it. It is fantastic," he playfully suggested.

"Oh alright," she answered with a quick roll of her eyes then allowed him to slip the spoon in her mouth.

Freddie lifted the spoon slightly so she could catch the piece in her mouth then slipped the spoon out and past her lips and allowed her to chew the piece of strawberry pie.

Her eyebrows lifted up in surprise as the flavor danced on her tongue. Once she swallowed the morsel, she commented, "This is fantastic."

Freddie snorted out a laugh. "I told you. I'm glad they're trying out a few new pies."

The sat in peaceful contentment as they enjoyed their respective pies until Freddie spoke up, "I missed you…"

Carly paused in mid-bite as she looked at his honest eyes.

"I don't… we were separated for six weeks, I don't know how your dad does it with your mom, especially with that last three year joint tour."

Carly nodded along. "Yeah." Her mind drifted to the thought of how it must be for her mom if this version of Steven Shay was gone as often as her dad.

"I guess she looks at the brighter side: he'll be a general by this time next year if not sooner. I always found it funny that she was more concerned about that than him, but I guess it's because she felt your Granddad Dorfman got cheated for not getting his star when he was in Vietnam."

Carly nodded along as she only had vague memories of her mother's late father. She took a wild guess as she replied, "Yeah, it always bothered her over that."

He nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess we should look on the bright side too: now any college you pick, I'll be guaranteed to be accepted too. Six weeks was a small price to pay for that reassurance."

"Yeah, any college you want—"

He lifted his spoon and pointed to her with a big grin on his face as he finished for her, "With you, with you."

She nodded and gave an awkward smile. What happened in her own world about Freddie missing out going to camp and the implications dropped on her like a ton of bricks. She had been so concern about what would be the fallout for Sam that she disregarded the true victim of Sam's actions: Freddie. She had even kept it a secret for weeks beforehand to cover for Sam and when he finally did find out, she had demanded that he forgive Sam on the spot regardless of what had cost him: the chance to go to any college he wanted. All because to Sam that Freddie's answer to the time was 'I don't know' and she had taken Sam's side.

She looked down at her plate so that her hair would partial cover her face as she suddenly felt sick on her stomach and the Heavenly taste in her mouth for the pie turned bitter.

Freddie gave a gentle squeeze of her fingers still being held with his and spoke up, "I'll pay for these and get a few more to go for everyone else. You know how much you mother would pout if she didn't get any."

Carly lifted her head and raised an eyebrow as she whispered, "Pout?"

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><p>The couple laughed as they made a dash down the sidewalk towards Bushwell Plaza through the moderate drizzle. They were just a few feet from the main entrance when Freddie stopped them just in front of the Plaza, but just short of standing under the overhead to shield them from the rain.<p>

She looked to him with a perplexed expression at them stopping to stand in the rain as the drops may have been rolling off of her raincoat hood and keeping her relatively dry, but his head was for the most part getting soaked, but he apparently didn't care as she was met with an open and loving expression. He wasn't hiding or trying to shield his affection for her with his expression. It wasn't like when Steven looked at her when they were together or all the other guys she tried to get to be her boyfriend; his feelings were real and genuine.

Carly looked to Freddie with doe like eyes as he smiled at her and he leaned forward and captured her lips with the faintest of touches. The brunette felt like he was stealing her breath, but she didn't mind as she replied in kind with brushing her lips with his and poking her tongue out for just a moment to run across his bottom lip where she could taste the faint flavor from the coconut cream pie left on his lips.

As their kiss deepened, her mind screamed that this was wrong, but another part of her mind, maybe in her heart didn't care and just wanted to get lost in the moment of kissing a boy that cared about her in the rain. All the shame and pain she had felt at the pie shop was being stolen by this boy's loving gesture.

They finally pulled apart as they both needed to breath and Freddie softly laughed, "Still like kissing in the rain?"

Carly let out a soft snort and whispered, "I could learn to love it."

Bushwell Plaza

"I just mopped!" the irate doorman shouted as he came out of his back office at hearing footsteps entering the lobby. Lewbert quickly shut his mouth as he saw that it was Carly and Freddie entering the lobby. The disheveled doorman cleared his throat and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry Miss Shay. I didn't realize it was you… please don't tell your mom I yelled at you."

Carly looked to Freddie with a wide eye expression, but he looked at her with a curious one.

"What?" he asked with a generally perplexed voice.

Carly shook her head trying to cover up something she should have known but didn't. "Nothing." She looked back to the unshaven doorman and answered, "Okay, I won't tell her."

He nodded his thanks as the teenagers passed him and they headed for the stairs.

Shay Apartment

Carly opened the door with Freddie quickly following her inside and calling out as he held up a plastic bag, "We brought pie!"

Spencer was standing at the end of the couch with Sam and the pair instantly turned to the couple and held their fingers up to their respective lips to make the sound, "Shh!"

The brunette pair looked to one another curiously then back to the other odd pair. Spencer pointed towards the living room side of the kitchen counter.

Carly looked on at her mother sitting on the bar stool and casually turning about as she held the cordless phone to her ear. She was looking down towards the floor and grinning nearly ear to ear as she listened to whoever was on the other end.

Carly looked to the counterpart to her brother and asked curiously, "What's going on?"

He passed a glance to the brunette and whispered, "It's dad. He just called to let us know his tour's up and he should be home for some extended leave by next weekend."

"What?" Carly snapped as she didn't think she heard the taller Shay correctly.

The younger artist repeated himself slowly, "Dad-is-coming-hommme."

Freddie smiled and pulled Carly to a quick hug. "That's great," he whispered to her.

The brunette was still in shock as her mother stopped turning to face the group and waved Carly over with an ecstatic expression on her face. Freddie let her go and she cautiously approached her mother and heard her speak into the phone, "Here she is," then handed it to Carly.

Carly accepted and brought the phone to her ear. She swallowed down her trepidation before answering, "Hello?"

"_Hey cupcake,"_ Steven enthusiastically greeted who he thought was his daughter.

"Hi dad." It had been too long since she had seen her own father and the joy at hearing his voice was nearly overwhelming, but for the fact that in the back of her mind she was reminded that he really wasn't her father. "How are you doing?"

"_I'm doing quite fine sweetheart. How are you doing?"_

She gave an awkward smile that she knew he couldn't see, but felt naturally on her face as she answered, "No complaints."

"_That's good to hear. Your mom told me Freddie's home."_

"Yeah he is," she answered as she instinctively turned to look at the brown hair teenager who gave her a quick smile.

She heard a quick, playful snort over the other end then spoke in a teasing manner, "I know he's been gone for weeks and that he missed your birthday, but don't do anything I would in your place."

"Dad!"

She could her father laugh on the other end of the line. _"I'm just kidding… don't do anything your brother would do with one of his 'lady friends'."_

She blew out a breath and rolled her eyes at the fact that this version of her father had the same underlining bit of playfulness to him.

"_I'm sorry to cut this short, but can I speak to your mom? I got to go in a minute or so."_

"Yeah, sure."

"_I will be home as soon as I can. I love you."_

Carly frowned and cover her mouth and the mouthpiece of the phone as she whispered back, "I love you too dad."

"_See you soon snug bug."_

"See you soon," she answered with a regretful tone. The brunette handed the phone back to Taylor who was quite eager to take it.

Taylor held the phone to her ear as she was nearly bouncing as she started paced around the apartment as if she had been wined up and now the spring was uncoiling. The older brunette whispered with barely contained childish glee into the phone as if she was singing along with Steven, "I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home, let the rain wash away, all pain of yesterday…"

She finally trialed off and had to press the end call button, but her smile didn't fade one bit as she looked to the rest of them. She shouted for joy, "Steven's coming home!"

Carly started taking deeper breaths as she saw the joyful looks of these native Taylor and Spencer Shays. Her mother was alive, her brother was a happy and respected artist, her best friends were actually friends, she was dating a guy that truly loved her and now her dad was coming home. She started shaking her head as the scenario was becoming too much for her. This nearly perfect life was cruelly mocking her life about how much it paled in comparison.

"I can't… I can't do this…" Carly shook her head and whispered out in a defeated tone. She blinked as she felt the burning and stinging sensation around her eyes and the first tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Taylor turned as she heard her daughter whisper, but the teenager turned suddenly and started dashing up the stairs. "Carly?" her mother asked in concern.

Carly snapped around when she reached the mid-way point at the stairs and shouted to her mother, "You'll just stick me in Trouble Waters!"

Taylor's expression turned from curious concern to abject horror. "Carly! Carly!" the older artist shouted as she dropped the phone and started after the teenager that was already out of sight.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I hope everyone is doing fine on this Tuesday, well it is Tuesday for me, let's just put it that way. I hope you like this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm always happy to respond to reviews and questions.

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

Taylor heard a door slam as she reached the second floor and assumed that hit was her daughter's bedroom door. She reached the door and pounded on it with her palm as she whispered in a frantic panic, "Carly, open the door."

"No!" the older artist heard Carly shout through the door. "You'll just think I'm crazy and send me to Troubled Waters!"

Taylor pressed her ear against the door and palmed her hand beside her face against the door. Her overwhelming concern and outright fear seeped into her voice as she responded, "Carly, sweetie, you are not going to Troubled Waters. What's going on?"

The rest of them had quickly followed her up and stood behind her just as concerned about what just had happened downstairs.

Sam raised a curious eyebrow as she asked, "What's Troubled Waters?"

Taylor spared a glance towards the blonde as she answered, "It's a mental hospital." The older brunette pressed her ear back to the door desperately trying to figure out what her daughter was doing on the other side of the door.

Freddie and Sam looked to each other with respective looks of concern.

Sam puttered out, "What happened after you two left?"

Freddie went wide eye and quickly explained, "Nothing! We went to get pie, talked about me being able to pick any college I want because of camp, kissed in the rain, Lewbert yelled at us tracking in water into the lobby after he had just mopped. That's it."

The older artist barely registered the conversation between the teenagers as she asked again, "Carly, please cupcake, let me in."

"No!"

Taylor desperately tried to reassure the web-hostess, "I'm your mother; I won't think you're crazy."

"My mother died when I was seven of leukemia! See, I'm crazy!"

The teenagers and Spencer turned to one another trying to figure out if they heard Carly correctly and if they did, what did she mean. Freddie's stomach felt like it was dropping out from under him as the gears of his mind started processing something that he didn't want to believe.

The Shay matriarch turned to the three and whispered, "Go downstairs."

Spencer started, "But mom—"

"I am not arguing with you Spencer," she interrupted with a gentle, but firm voice.

Spencer nodded in acknowledgment and turned to head downstairs. He may have been twenty-nine and hadn't really been under his mother's authority in more than ten years, but his father had made it quite clear if he was going to continue to live in the apartment after college that there would not be some silly sharing of power in the home. Taylor was the finally authority (and that he would pay her rent) or he'd be thrown out.

Freddie stared at Taylor and debated whether to listen to her or not.

"Please Freddie?"

He bit is tongue then sighed out in a defeated tone as he continued to stare, "Yes ma'am."

Freddie followed in Spencer's footsteps while Sam stood there for a moment. Another quick glance from Taylor to Sam made her realize she wasn't going to win any argument either, so she decided to head downstairs. She would just raid the refrigerator to suppress the worry.

Once everyone was out of sight, Taylor turned back to the door. "Carly, I have a key to the room and I can just get Freddie or Sam to kick the door open, so please just open the door. I sent everyone else downstairs."

"No. I told you; you'll just think I'm crazy."

"I'm a Dorfman; everyone thinks I'm crazy or a child pretending to be an adult… which they aren't far off. I'll die before I let anyone send you to Troubled Waters or anywhere else."

The older brunette waited a few seconds until she heard the locks start clicking. She waited for the door to open, but the door remained closed. She blew out a breath through her nose and opened the door.

Carly was standing in the middle of the room shifting her weight between her feet. She had thrown her damp raincoat on the floor as it looked like she didn't care if she was leaving a puddle.

Taylor's face fell as she saw the running makeup down her daughter's pale cheeks and her eyes quickly becoming red.

Carly softly whispered out, "You won't think I'm crazy?"

"I'm your mother."

Carly shook her head. "My mother died when I was seven and she's in Heaven."

The older brunette took a slow breath as she studied the girl and her heart went out to her. She whispered out sadly, "Tell me what's wrong."

Carly wiped a cheek off with the back of her hand then started, "I just came back from Granddad's after spending a week with him because of his foot surgery. I went to bed and I woke up here this morning… in this perfect life. You're alive… my mother suffered for six months worth of treatments before she finally died. She was so pale and not a bit of hair left on her head… then we had to stick you in that box and bury you in the ground… and you stand there… mocking me with something I never had."

Taylor reached up with her left hand and pulled her bandana back and off of her head. She blew out a breath as she fiddled with the cloth in her hands. She looked to the floor and was finally able to speak, "That's what you meant with I couldn't be real. I'm sorry."

The pair stared at each other for a few moments before Taylor asked, "I assume my Carly is wherever you are from?"

"I don't know. I guess we probably just switch places… assuming this is actually real."

Taylor's brow furled under her glasses. "Actually real?"

"I ah… two Christmases ago, I wished that Spencer was born normal after he made an electromagnetic tree that set all the presents on fire instead of getting a real tree like I wanted. This angel named Mitch showed up and granted my wish. He showed me what it was like if Spencer was normal and it wasn't a pleasant life. After I realized that I shouldn't have said that about Spencer, I was dropped home."

Taylor nodded along to the story then answered, "I think, therefore I am… so I'm real. Do you think Mitch did the same thing here?"

"I don't know who else could have done this. I tried calling for him, but he didn't answer."

Taylor shrugged a helpless shoulder as she suggested, "Maybe he's waiting for you to figure out what you're supposed to figure out here? You have to be here for a reason."

The younger brunette snorted out and motioned with her hand to the older artist. "To show me how much my life is chizz compared to this Carly's life?"

She gave her daughter's counterpart a patient smile. "I highly doubt that is what the Lord is trying to get you to learn… how are things different?"

"Besides you not being alive?"

She gave a soft nod and sad smile, "Yes."

Carly glanced around the room as she debated where to start. She looked back at Taylor and began, "I saw the exposes and shows that you and Spencer have with your art. Spencer's not that famous. He's actually struggling to get recognition."

She asked rhetorically, "I'm not there to support him? But there's Steven—"

"Dad doesn't know Spencer's an artist. He thinks Spencer went to law school and is a lawyer now."

The older Shay blinked as she was unsure if she heard Carly correctly, "Why?"

"He didn't want to disappoint dad and that's what Granddad wanted him to be."

Taylor frowned whispered out with a hint of annoyance, "I see your grandfather doesn't know how to keep his nose out of what isn't any of his business either. Why does Steven think Spencer went to law school?"

"Spencer enrolled for three days then dropped out to be an artist. He never told dad."

Taylor gave a disappointed expression. "So instead of just telling Steven he wanted to be an artist, he's been lying to him for how many years?"

The younger brunette looked somewhat embarrassed as that was exactly what they had been doing for the last several years. She lamely spoke up in her and her brother's defense, "He thought dad would be disappointed in him just like granddad seems to be."

"If your father is anything like my Steven then he would have never disapproved of Spencer becoming an artist. The only way I could see him disappointed is if Spencer isn't giving it his all. He is giving it his all isn't he?"

Carly looked down to the floor trying to think the best way to phrase her answer.

The more experienced artist answered her own question in a surprisingly firm voice, "Then he's not."

Carly snapped her head up and gave the woman a questioning look.

Taylor answered the unasked question, "If the first thing isn't a shout out of yes then he's not. You'd know it in his art. Give your Spencer a good swift kick if he truly wants to be an artist and remind him that it doesn't matter what his father says if he's truly committed to being one. It doesn't matter what your Granddad Shay thinks either… he didn't want Steven to go into the Air Force… he didn't even want him to marry me."

That was a strange and surprising bit of news she didn't know about her family. She really didn't know what else to say other than how she replied, "Okay, I'll tell him…"

The school artist gave a reassuring smile. "That's one lesson you've learned. Let's just go through what's different and see if there's something you learned. Maybe once you've realized what you might need to learn, you'll and my Carly will snap back into place?"

The teenager nodded. It was the most reasonable explanation to the whole crazy scenario. "So you really don't think I'm crazy?"

"No sweetheart."

"But what I'm saying is crazy."

Taylor gave her a warm smile. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy… I'm an artist and a Dorfman. I have a different definition to the word crazy."

Carly nodded along, accepting the answer.

"So, what else is different?"

Carly swallowed for a moment then headed to her bed to have a seat with Taylor taking the hint and having a seat beside her daughter's counterpart.

After a few moments, Carly began, "Freddie and Sam are different…"


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay. Got busy with editing something else and something else this afternoon and has been giving me troubles for hours to try to post this. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

"How are they different?" Taylor gently prodded.

Carly looked down at her feet and took a slow breath. The fingers on Carly's right hand started playing with the ends of Taylor's bandana that was resting in her mother's lap. "They fight."

"All friends fight at times," she attempted to comfort the distressed teenager with a reassuring tone.

"No, they fight all the time… Sam constantly starts stuff with Freddie. It never stops. She insults him, she embarrasses him, she torments him… she hits him… she even… she ruined my Freddie's chance to go to NERD camp. She got a hold of his application and changed all the answers into some very nasty things, so they rejected him… all because he didn't know what time it was… and I said 'Who cares?'. I've been saying 'Who cares?' to him for the last four years when she hurts him and that he should just accept her behavior."

Carly sniffled and took a breath as she continued, "But this Sam and Freddie… they get along. I saw some iCarly episodes and there isn't any hostility. They get along and seem genuinely happy around one another." The younger brunette snorted out a laugh and raised her left hand to wipe under an eye, "They even shared a slow dance at Junior Prom. My Sam and Freddie dated for a few weeks weren't like that. They were at each other's throats when they weren't being all cutesy with one another… she even hit him then. Your Freddie's right: it was domestic abuse and I did nothing to stop it. I really am a heartless girl like he said."

Taylor let out a slow breath then gently took the hand Carly was fiddling with the bandana in her gentle clasp. Her daughter's counterpart looked up at her as the tears threatened to fall. "Did you tell Freddie? Where you're from?"

"No, I… I told him about my life as if were the 'nightmare' that I had this morning. After I was done telling him, he joked about how chizzy that Freddie's life was with friends like us and how that Carly, meaning me without realizing it, was a heartless girl for letting it happen to him."

Taylor took a deep breath then kissed the teenager's forehead. Carly closed her eyes from the gentle contact that she hadn't experience in a very long looked at her with a compassionate smile, "I'm not your judge sweetheart. You can't change the past, but you can change how things are from now on and I think you've realized that already. You can't beat yourself up over it or let it haunt you or the guilt will just overwhelm you."

The web-hostess gave a slight nod. "I'll try."

The older artist gave her a reassuring smile and asked, "Tell me about Sam other than how she gets along with Freddie."

Carly cleared her throat and wiped away the moister that was threatening to fall from her eyes. She took a calming breath then answered, "She's… she's a bully but I love her. She's funny and she can be a lot of fun… if you keep her well fed. She… she constantly gets into trouble and we try to keep her out of it. She doesn't do well in school and I… I don't tell her this, but I worry how we are going to get into college together if she never does her work."

"I assume Pamela isn't doing her job as a mother?"

The younger brunette replied, "No."

The veteran school teacher frowned and narrowed her eyes in annoyance for a moment before asking, "So you and Spencer are looking out for her?"

Carly nodded as she replied, "Yes. We let her stay over whenever she wants to and she eats whatever is out of the refrigerator when she's hunger. I think it bother's Spencer sometimes.

"It's probably because it's not Spencer's decision."

Carly raised an eyebrow.

Taylor gave her half a smile as she explained, "I'm going to have to take some guesses about your father and your life, so bare with me. I assume you two still live in this apartment since you didn't act surprised by waking up here."

"Yes. Dad's away and Spencer volunteered to stay with me. He's… we've been together since you died."

She asked softly and in the most delicate manner as she muster, "When did I… when did she die?"

Carly took a sharp breath and stared at the woman with an identical life to her deceased mother. She wasn't sure why she had asked the question, either out of morbid curiosity or for some other reason, but she decided to trust the woman as she opened up the old wound. The younger brunette slowly let out her breath as she replied, "August of two thousand one."

"And did nine-eleven happen where you're from?"

Carly nodded.

"I die then he has to go fight…" she stated in a mournful tone. "So you didn't go live with your Uncle Barry?"

Carly shook her head. "Spencer volunteered to stay with me as he was going to college, but I thought I would have lived with Granddad if he didn't want to stay."

Taylor frowned and replied with a surprisingly short tone, "Over Steven's dead body and even then it wouldn't have happened. I doubt your dad and granddad's relationship is any better than my Steven and his father."

The teenager's brow furled as she questioned, "I've never seen them fight before."

"My Carly hasn't either, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. They have very different views on parenting plus a lot of other disagreements over the years."

"Like the Granddad Shay here not wanting you two to get married?"

She gave a slight nod. "He thought… thinks I'm too dorky and goofy and weird and I like to sing… Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream…"

Carly shut her mouth tight as her mother had repeated back the words that she had used to describe the Dorfmans one time to Sam and started singing the tune they always sing.

The older brunette quickly shut her mouth and gave Carly an embarrassing expression. "I'm sorry… I can get… distracted. We were taking about your father and Sam?"

Carly gave her a sad smile. "It's alright." She saw so much of Spencer from this woman at that moment. Oh, how much Spencer must have hurt when losing the person that probably understood him best, especially since there were times she had trouble relating to her brother. Her mother would probably have found the corn juice funny and wouldn't have found it strange at all.

"As I was saying, your father can't be entirely in the dark when it comes to Pamela,"

The younger brunette slowly answered, "No he's not."

"Then he's the one telling Spencer to let her stay and feed her."

The Seattle teenager gave her a curious expression. "I don't understand."

"Your father… he's… he looks at the world in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. The way Pamela refuses to be a mother to Samantha disgusts him and I assume it is the same with yours. If Samantha was your friend, he couldn't deny her a sanctuary here and it wouldn't matter what Spencer's thoughts were."

Taylor shrugged a shoulder. "And if the only difference so far is me then your dad probably worked something out for Spencer to stay there, but the final decision on anything is with him. I mean me and Steven had a huge fight about Spencer staying in the apartment after he finished college and he was away when the war started in Iraq. He wasn't going to let Spencer stay unless he paid me rent. " Taylor snorted out a laugh, "Your dad was adamant about it."

The older brunette took both of Carly's hands in her hands and whispered, "You need to tell Sam your concerns and you just can't let her blow you off. If her friendship means as much as it does between my Carly and Sam, she'll listen… she has to listen, because you are her friend and you love her."

Carly nodded along with a relieved smile. "I'll tell her."

Taylor gave her a wide smile then released her hands as she continued, "Good, now tell me about Freddie."

The web-hostess thought bringing him up would dampen her lifted spirits, but she cracked a bigger smile then started with a caring tone, "He's… he just like this one… he's sweet and caring and kind… except he can't stand up to Sam."

"How does that work when you're dating?"

The younger brunette frowned and broke eye contact with the older artist, "We're not. We're not together."

"Oh?"

Carly nodded to Taylor's eyes as a regretful gesture.

"Another change," Taylor stated in a rhetorical manner.

"Yeah…"

She gave the teenager a gentle squeeze of her hand then asked, "Do you mind if I ask why?"

Carly started to speak then closed her mouth. She swallowed down nervously then answered, "After just spending a few hours with this Freddie, I don't know… my Freddie's always had his crush on me… he never hid it like yours… and I never saw him as boyfriend material, except one time."

"When was that?"

"Sam let it slip that it happened here, but I guessed things turned out differently. After Freddie saved me from the taco truck I kind of fell for him and we dated for a few days, but… he broke up with me when he thought I didn't really return the feelings. He didn't want to take advantage of my misplaced feelings."

The older brunette smiled warmly. "Sounds just like our Freddie… and just as honorable."

"Yes he is," Carly whispered more for her benefit than for Taylor's benefit.

"If I may be so bold? You may want to take a second look at your Freddie—"

"I've already been doing that…"

"But…" Taylor dragged out and caused Carly to turn her attention back to the artist. "You shouldn't make any decision just on what you've seen here. You should do what is best for you and if you think you'll be happy with him, not with what you think you might have with living my Carly's life for a few hours."

"I'll keep that in mind… can I ask, but did your Carly and Freddie date after the accident?"

Taylor shook her head. "No, they never dated after the accident, but Carly was really upset and practically babysat him until the casts came off and he was done with official rehab. I did wonder if anything would develop from that, but nothing ever came of it until after Steven."

Carly looked away and admonished herself with a whisper, "I should have let him beat Steven…"

"Excuse me?"

The younger brunette looked back to reply, "I didn't let my Freddie fight Steven… I thought he was too nerdy and Steven would pound him."

Taylor playfully chuckled, "That scrawny runt against Freddie? I guess that's another lesson you've learned."

Carly joined her a moment later with a soft laugh, "I guess so."

The pair sat quietly for a few moments until Carly began, "I guess I should ask you since I'll never have another chance, but…" Carly trailed off and started to blush.

"You didn't have me to ask all those mother/daughter questions."

Carly gave an awkward laugh, "Dad gave me the talk and Spencer… he doesn't like having those conversations, but that's not what I'm asking."

She gave her a reassuring smile. "You can ask me anything, even about that."

Carly blew out a relieving breath then asked as solemnly as she could muster, "How do I know when I truly love a boy? Not just an infatuation or like him because he's hot, but truly love him?"

Taylor grinned widely and a hint of joy shined in her eyes. "When you don't have to ask anyone else the question, because when you love him, you'll know you love him and you don't care about other's opinions."

There was a worried edge in her voice as she followed up, "Are there second chances at love? Even after you screw up?"

"You'll find in life that the forgiveness and love are far stronger than resentment and hate. If your Freddie is as strong as ours and loves you just as much, he'll forgive you… maybe not right away if it truly starts bothering him after the fact, but he'll forgive you. You do have to remember one thing though."

"What's that?"

"To forgive yourself eventually."

Carly gave a nod then wrapped her arms around the woman who was the closest thing she would have to her mother back. Taylor smiled warmly and hugged her in return. Taylor just held her as long as Carly needed the contact as it pain her that the counterpart to her child had missed out on the love of her mother for the last ten years.

Carly finally pulled away enough to face her 'mother' but still in her arms. "Thank you."

"You're welcome cupcake… since I've answered your questions, would you mind answering some of mine?"

Carly shook her head and answered welcomingly, "No."

Taylor broke eye contact for a moment and bit her bottom lip then asked hesitantly, "How is your father?"


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Hey everyone. I have a new chapter for you and I hope you like this chapter. I just realized as I was watching a repeat of iToe Fat Cakes that apparently the room across the hall from Carly's room is now her bathroom. I always used it for Colonel and Mrs. Shay's bedroom… useless bit of trivia.

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

"My father?"

Taylor gave a slight nod and patient smile.

Carly took a deep breath and turned her gaze away to look towards Taylor's lap. "He's… he loves me and Spencer very much." She cracked a smile as she continued, "He's sometimes short with Spencer when he starts going off on something goofy stuff when they're talking on the phone, but I think it's just because he has so little time to get to speak with us when he calls… he's gone a lot… overseas, submarines—"

"Submarines? Your dad's in the Navy?"

Carly lifted her head and shook it as she replied, "No, he's in the Air Force too."

She gave her a perplex expression as she continued, "Then how… never mind. It's probably code for something he can't tell you about just like our Steven." She looked embarrassed a moment later and whispered, "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"It's okay. I have a million questions too about figuring out what's different… my father…" Carly paused as she took a moment to really look at the woman sitting beside her and decided to get to the heart of the matter. "He misses you… her. He always calls or finds some way to get in touch with us on your birthday or their anniversary and… I can see it hurts him even under that brave face he puts up… I don't think he's really happy except on mine or Spencer's birthday."

Taylor let out a soft breath through her nose. "He's making the same mistake as my father after your grandmother died… he can't move on. He remained alone for nearly twenty five years after her death until he passed on."

"She was the love of his life. He doesn't want to replace you—her," she corrected nervously as she broke eye contact and they were steering into a sensitive topic.

The older artist tried to delicately explain, "It's not about replacing… but finding someone you can be happy with and love. I just can't believe your mother would want him to suffer being alone. I wouldn't want my Steven to live that way, as if he owed me to live the rest of his life like that. I hope he would find someone that would love him and you and Spencer."

Carly stared at her for a few moments which caused Taylor to look back at her apprehensively thinking that maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Carly blinked a few times as she felt the tears threatening to come. She tried clearing her throat a few times, but it was no use as she finally choked out, "Why do you get to be alive and my mom's not?"

Taylor gazed at hurt brown eyes of the girl that was nearly identical to her own daughter. She gave her a sympathetic expression then pulled the teenager into a hug.

Carly quickly wrapped her arms around the older woman and closed her eyes then let the tears start flowing freely which just opened the floodgates and let the emotions pour out into a sob into the crook of Taylor's neck and shoulder.

Taylor closed her eyes and whispered trying to hold back her on emotion threatening to spill out from the girl breaking in her arms, "I don't know cupcake… maybe the chemo was more effective for me or my bone marrow transplant more successful or maybe we have better drugs… I just don't know, but what I do know… what has to be true… is that she loved you very much and leaving you was the last thing she wanted to do."

She held Carly and let her cry out her pain, losing track of the time. She didn't know what else to do what a mother could do: hold her child. At some point, Carly finally ran out of tears and whispered out hoarsely, "I don't want to wake up."

Taylor took a deep breath then whispered as it pained her, "And I wish that your life was a nightmare you could wake up from and I would be there for you, but we can't run away from all the loss and pretend it isn't there. We make the best of what we have… your father and Spencer couldn't take losing you if you didn't wake up or come back or whatever the Lord has done to bring you here."

Carly squeezed her eyes tightly as a few more tears fell. "I know…"

They pair remained silent as Taylor continued to hold on to the child that needed her mother. The minutes stretched on until Carly finally whispered, "I'm still here. I haven't woken up."

Taylor gave her an unsure smile. "I guess maybe you still have some unfinished business? Learn something else? I don't know. I'm just as much in the dark as you."

Carly gave a resigning nod of her head as her forehead rubbed against the side of Taylor's neck.

"I'm here sweetie and everything is going to be okay. We'll figure it out."

Carly remained silent as Taylor kept her arms around the teenager.

The older artist remained seated with her for a few minutes, rocking with her back and forth until she stopped and spoke, "I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry and I think a good meal would do us both some good."

The younger brunette lifted her head off the counterpart to her mother's shoulder and wiped from under her eyes as she nodded gently with a tired expression.

Taylor smiled brightly as she continued, "I'll going to go downstairs and fix some lunch and let them know what is going on while you wash up and gather yourself."

Her eyes widened and her mouth shut tightly for a few moments. She whispered out in a dreadful tone, "What if they think I'm crazy?"

Taylor looked straight into the teenager's eyes. She spoke with a firm voice, "You are not going to Troubled Waters or any other place. I won't let them take you."

Carly let out a relieved breath, "Okay."

"Good," Taylor agreed then pulled her closer for a moment and kissed the top of her head. The older brunette pulled away and stood up from the bed. "I'll see you in a little bit."

Carly took a deep breath then slowly released it as she watched what she would never have left the room.

* * *

><p>Spencer blinked as he looked to her mother after her quick explanation, "What do you mean she's not Carly?"<p>

Taylor was retying her blue bandana around her head as she answered, "She's from some other place, world, universe, whatever I don't understand. I just know that she's not our Carly. Her mother didn't survive the last fight with leukemia as I did."

Sam raised a hand in the air. "I'm sorry Mrs. Shay, but that is a bit crazy."

The older brunette smoothed over her bandana to make sure it was secure and properly in place then answered in a resigned tone, "Perhaps, but it's the truth."

Spencer shared a look with Sam for a moment then looked back to his mother. "Mom, you have to admit that's a little out there. Maybe we should—"

"Absolutely not Spencer!" the older brunette snapped causing the pair to take a step back from the outburst. "We are not calling any doctor or anyone else to see her. They'll label crazy or just someone trying to get attention and I'll put a forty-five round in anyone's behind that tries to take her just as quickly as I did those blasted Petographers when they broke in."

The younger artist rung his hands for a moment then cautiously suggested, "Mom, she could have hit her head while at Granddad's and neither of them realized it. It could make her think up that entire crazy dream."

Taylor shook her head then met her son's eyes. "That's real grief she is feeling over losing her mother yet having to see me surviving when her mother didn't… it's like a cruel joke… and I'm the punch line either way."

Freddie frowned deeply as he looked at the Shay Matriarch. He had remained silent during her story as he had heard more than what she had told them hours before and coming to the realization that what Carly had told him wasn't a dream, but the truth of her life. If it was true then it resulted in a lot of unpleasant and deeply disturbing ramifications. The brown eyed teenager cautiously asked, "Parallel Universes is just a theory and she's really claiming to really be from one? You really believe this is true?"

"I guess?" she replied not sure of what he was talking about as science was not her specialty.

"Then where's our Carly?"

"I don't know. Maybe they switched?"

Freddie snorted out a laugh. "Maybe they switched? You're not worried about her?"

Taylor narrowed her look at the brown eyed teenager. "This Carly said an angel did this before to her so she could appreciate the differences between her and her Spencer. I have faith in the Lord that our Carly is safe if He is trying to teach this one another lesson."

Freddie snapped back sarcastically, "Then He has a lot of work to do on this Carly."

Spencer and Sam looked to him with curious expressions. Sam spoke up, "Care to fill us in?"

He turned his attention to his rambunctious friend as everything Carly had described to him about her home came to the forefront of his mind. "She's a heartless girl that's a fake friend to your and my counterparts."

Taylor frowned and countered with hint of authority in her soft voice, "That's uncalled for."

He stared back without a bit of equivocation, "It's the truth. She told me about herself and where she comes from as if it was really our Carly having a 'nightmare' from this morning. She doesn't care a damn about her Freddie then she leads me on to think she was our Carly without saying a word. She's probably been leading him on for years thinking he had a real shot at her."

"She thought you'd think she was crazy and we'd put her in a mental institution."

"That's going to be a great explanation to Carly when or even if she comes back as to why I was kissing another girl or how I could be so fooled by this one. She's not your daughter. She's not our Carly. You don't see why you are defending her."

"I'm defending her because I know what it's like to be labeled crazy or odd or that there is something wrong with me because I see the world differently than everyone else… and I don't think I would act any better if I was suddenly faced with seeing my mother back from the dead at seventeen."

Freddie clenched his jaw tightly and shook his head.

Sam asked tentatively, "Okay, assuming this is true, what are we going to do? I mean what can we do?" She glanced to Freddie as he was still fuming with his arms across his chest.

"I'm good with technical stuff, but crossing dimensional barriers is a little outside of my abilities," he answered with a hint of sarcasm. He looked back to Taylor with a dubious expression on his face. "What do you suggest we do?"

"We help her. She's realized already some of her mistakes, but there are probably a few more things she needs our help in learning before she can go back."

Freddie's brow furled and his jaw slightly dropped before retorting indignantly, "You don't magically grow a conscious."

"Freddie, I know you're upset—"

The brown haired teenager snapped, "Upset? That doesn't begin to describe what I'm feeling. I thought I was with Carly for the last few hours, but it turns out I'm with some girl who's missing her heart. Did she tell you the part where she let her Freddie get into a relationship with their Sam that never stopped bullying him and got to the point she hits him? You were terrified that Griffin could hit Carly when we thought he really was a delinquent. You didn't have to say a word to me or Sam about what to do if that happened, because you knew if we saw one mark on Carly that we would leave Griffin a bloody mess on the floor, but this Carly can't even utter the word 'No' to her Sam? There is something seriously wrong with her if she has that much apathy to his suffering and I don't see how you fix that."

Taylor gave him a sad smile. "So we should just give up on her?"

Freddie gave her a respective nod and answered with a resign tone, "I would not presume to tell you that you couldn't do anything Mrs. Shay, but I just don't see how you accomplish what you want to do."

Taylor approached Freddie then gently rested a hand on his shoulder. She whispered, "She couldn't have fooled us if she was as heartless as you believe at this moment. You, maybe better than any of us, would have saw right through her, but you saw the same core in her as you do in our Carly. Not to besmirch her, but you can tell the difference between Carly and Megan with a simple glance. I can't even do that without taking a few seconds. I'm just saying that you should do what you have always done: see the good in people."

Freddie lowered his head to break eye contact from the kind woman and blew out a soft breath. He let her words and his feelings battle in his heart and head for a few moments before he looked back up at her. "That's only because you're too nice and good to see the evil in people that would separate them so easily… so… you just want us to pretend she's our Carly?"

"I wouldn't say she's evil… but about pretending with this Carly? To rest of the world, yes. When our Carly comes back, she doesn't need to step back into her life and have everyone think she's crazy, so we are going to play along and cover any slip ups from this Carly."

Freddie shook his head in disgust.

Taylor relaxed her tone as she tried to reason with the irritated teenager, "Freddie, I know that you might not like—"

"You're blasted right I don't like it, but…" he bit his tongue for a moment then finished, "but I'll play along to a point for our Carly's sake."

The older artist nodded as she realized that this might be the most he was going to get out of the heartbroken teenager. She blew out a breath then stated, "I'm going to get lunch started." She looked to the blonde and asked, "Samantha, sweetie, could you run up and get Carly?"

The blonde gave a hesitant nod, but didn't hesitate in her reply, "Yes ma'am."

Taylor looked back towards the kitchen and clamped her hands together as she mumbled, "What are we in the mood for?"


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hello everyone. I finally got the next chapter to this story complete. I really got unexpectedly busy over the last week and a half. You know real life has a tendency to do that to you. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Well on with the next chapter.

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Carly lifted her head up from the sink as she finished washing her face and looking up at her reflection as water dripped from the tip of her nose, cheeks and chin. She took a slow breath as she studied her appearance. Her eyes were still red from crying with just a little puffiness under them. She looked directly into her reflected eyes. She couldn't hold the stare but only a few moments before she broke eye contact as she wasn't sure if she was looking at herself, the other Carly and not sure which she preferred to see at the moment. She brushed those thoughts away then grabbed the hanging towel on her right to start drying her face.

As she was finishing drying her face, she heard Sam's voice call out, "Hey."

The brunette turned her head slightly to see Sam wearing an awkward smile as she was straddling the threshold to the bathroom. Carly let go of the towel and swallowed nervously then cautiously answered, "Hey."

The blonde rocked on her heels for a moment before asking with a bit of humor in her voice, "So you're from another planet?"

Carly cleared her throat as the attempt at humor didn't really lift her spirits. The web-hostess gave her a crooked smile as she whispered out, "In a way, I guess so."

The two avoided their respective gazes at one another for a few seconds until Sam spoke up catching the brunette's attention, "So there's another me?"

"Yeah, another you, another Freddie, another Spencer…"

"But no other Mrs. Shay?"

Carly slightly shook her head and let a small frown form on her face. "No mom."

The dirty blonde frowned and it was one of those rare occasions that Carly saw Sam (regardless from what world she was occupying) truly sad when she attempted to console the brunette, "I'm sorry."

Carly gave a slight nod of her head as she whispered out, "Yeah."

Sam took a few steps forward and embraced Carly, taking the brunette off guard for a moment. The dirty blonde whispered, "I'm sorry kiddo... other kiddo, whatever."

Carly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Sam. The other web-hostess was the first one to pull back and state, "I guess not having her around would screw anyone up—"

Carly narrowed her brow as she looked to her Sam's counterpart.

Sam's eyes widened and her mouth slightly hung open as she realized what she was saying, "I mean not that you're screwed up… never mind."

The brunette let out a slow breath through her nose and let her shoulders slump. She spoke with a tired voice, "I know what you mean. It's alright… I'm getting… a unique perspective on my life and it's looking like a much needed one."

Sam spread opened her arms and put on a forced jolly tone, "Well, we're here to help."

"Thanks… but are you sure I'm just not crazy?"

Sam dropped her arms and gave her a nervous expression. "Ah well…" Sam blew out a breath. "Maybe a little and Spencer's concerned, but Mama Shay's put her foot down and you don't go against Mama Shay. She said we're going to help you figure out what you're supposed to learn then hopefully you and our Carly will switch back."

"Hopefully…" Carly answered breaking eye contact and giving her a slight nod.

"Don't get all down in the dumps kiddo. It may be looking rough, but I know what'll cheer you up," the blonde put on a genuine smile.

Carly asked cautiously trying to feel where the blonde was going with her statement since if it was her Sam saying such a thing then she would have good cause to worry. "What?"

"Food."

Carly cracked a relieved smile as she tilted her head to the side. "That's what cheers you up."

Sam pointed at the brunette and smiled in return as she stated, "True, but we're not going to accomplish anything on an empty stomach. Your… Mrs. Shay sent me up to come get you for lunch."

"You just want some of Galini's pie for dessert that Freddie brought back."

"Maybe… hey! Our focus is on you; don't turn this around on me."

Carly blew out a loud breath and rolled her eyes in a purposefully overdramatic manner. "Fine, let's go eat."

Sam nodded then was the first out of the bathroom with Carly immediately behind her. As they reached the steps, Sam turned to stop her to ask, "While I have the chance and I don't really think you can blame me from being curious, but is she… the other me, is she happy?"

Carly narrowed her eyes on this Sam and cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

The curiousness in her voice shifted toward dread as she asked her question, "I mean… how's her life?"

Carly looked down at the sink for a few moments.

Sam looked down as well as she assessed this Carly by what she didn't say. The blonde commented with a sad and dry tone, "I guess Pam is the same way she is for her as my Pam is to me."

The brunette lifted her head to meet the native Sam's eyes. "I don't know how your mom—"

"She's not my mom," Sam cut her off sharply.

Carly closed her mouth quickly as she rarely heard Sam snap at her in that manner as she did others. She decided to remain quiet as she let Sam continue, "Pam's lucky if she can take care of herself, least long me and Melanie. That's why Melanie took her way out with the private schooling and I'm here."

Carly rolled a shoulder and glanced back at the floor again. "Do you live here?"

Sam shrugged a shoulder. "Practically... it started..."

Ridgeway Elementary Wing  
>Ridgeway High School<br>September 2002

Even at eight years old, Samantha Puckett was use to getting her way with the other kids in her classes. They did as she said and would hurt them if they bothered her. It was a good system and had worked out fine for the most part for the cute little trouble maker. If they had food and she was hunger (which was most of the time), she'd take it, but during today's lunch she had a rude awakening in her attempt to take some brunette girl's sandwich. The smiling brunette had put on a determined expression, got up, took her sandwich back and shoved her off the bench and onto the ground.

No one really had the nerve to tell her no or fight back, but this girl smiled as she resumed her seat and eating her sandwich. It might have been the reason that instead of getting mad at the blue dress wearing child for fighting back, she found respect for her. They had talked during the rest of lunch and played together during afternoon recess.

The time was about fifteen minutes after school had released and Sam had missed the bus home as she had no particular desire to go home and knew her mother wouldn't miss her for a while if at all. Finding something to keep her occupied after school wasn't too difficult for the child this afternoon as she walked with Carly to a classroom, but started debating how much she might like this kid after she told Sam that her mom was a teacher. She may have only been eight, but she understood hate and she hated teachers. If they weren't mean (Briggs/Howard), they were boring and stupid and either way they bothered her.

Carly had grabbed hold of her wrist and nearly dragged the blonde the rest of the way as they stepped inside the classroom.

The brunette let her go once they had stepped inside and continued walking towards the front of the class, but Sam stopped as her eyes took in the room.

The other classrooms were either dull or plastered with silly pictures talking about sharing and other nonsense lessons to her that her dumb teachers wanted to get across, but this one was bright and colorful. There were pictures, posters and paintings covering nearly every inch of the walls of scenery, flowers, animals, air planes and everything in between a child could dream of dreaming. Spread across the rectangular tables in the classroom was various color papers, crayons, colored pencils, paint and clays.

At the front of the classroom, she saw a woman sitting at the teacher's desk.

"Mom!" Carly shouted with glee as she ran to the woman.

The presumed teacher smiled in return and caught the running child as she jumped in her lap.

The teacher closed her eyes and wore a small smile as she held Carly in her lap and gently rocked her. "Hi my cupcake. Have a nice day?"

Carly just nodded as she relaxed in her mother's arms.

To Sam's eyes, the woman was slightly pale, but the smile she wore was warm with oval shaped lenses glasses on her face, a white and flowery patterned bandana around her head, a paint stained white painting smock and blue jeans. The blonde child could not tell if the woman's bandana was covering a bald head underneath or she just had really short hair.

The teacher continued to rock with Carly for a few more moments until the child asked, "Are you alright mom?"

Mrs. Shay gave her daughter a reassuring smile and replied, "I'm fine cupcake, just a little tired. Spencer will be here in a little bit to pick us up and I can take a nap."

"Okay mom."

She finally opened her eyes and saw Sam exploring the classroom. "Who's your friend Carly?"

The little brunette giggled then answered, "Oh, this is Sam."

The dirty blonde turned her attention away from a painting she knew had to be painted by a real artist instead of the students as she became the focus of attention.

"Hello Samantha," Mrs. Shay called out. "I'm Mrs. Shay."

The child resisted rolling her eyes at the teacher figuring out her whole name and using it. She approached Sam drawled out as she did with every teacher, "Hello Mrs. Shay."

Mrs. Shay looked to her daughter and whispered, "So you met someone new?"

"She tried to take my sandwich."

"That's wasn't very nice Samantha," she spoke with the softest of chastising.

"I was hungry," she snapped back not caring that she was a teacher.

The school teacher frowned and the facial expression confused Sam. This teacher didn't look mad or yell at her or tell her to go sit in a time out.

"There you are Sam Puckett!" Miss Briggs' voice shouted from the classroom entrance. She stormed inside the room with that perpetual frown in her face as she reached and stared down at Sam. The little blonde girl looked up and saw one facial expression that did not confuse the child.

Carly's mom pointed towards the door and raised her voice as she called out, "Out Francine."

She looked away from Sam and towards the art teacher as if noticing her for the first time. She started to speak with mild annoyance in her voice, "Taylor-"

"I said out or I'm calling Principal Parker and having you thrown out."

Principal Parker was the one person that made Sam nervous as he did the other students of Ridgeway, even the bigger kids on the other side of the school. He was a tall man built like a wrestler from TV with a constant frown on his face as if he really did hate being the school's principal.

Apparently the threat of him made Briggs nervous as well as she shut her mouth quickly and stared at the art teacher.

Mrs. Shay released the hand around Carly's waist and moved it to rest over the phone receiver of the telephone sitting at the corner of her desk. She spoke in a soft, but chilly voice, "I'm too tired to dance with you today Francine."

Briggs looked to Sam and stated with an annoyed tone, "I will deal with you tomorrow."

Mrs. Shay spoke up, "No, you will not. Whatever it is she is with me for detention, so go away and leave her alone."

The art teacher's instructions to the other teacher seemed to irritate Briggs even further as she turned and walked out. She was in such a hurry that she nearly ran into a very tall young man just entering his twenties as he tried to enter the room. She ignored him as she exited the classroom and he called out with a laugh, "Nice seeing you Miss Briggs."

The tall young man walked towards the girls with a goofy grin on his face.

"Spencer!" Carly called out as she jumped out of her mother's lap.

"Hey kiddo!" the very tall young man answered as leaned down then picked up his little sister.

She wrapped her arms behind his neck then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

He looked to his mother and asked with the same cheerful voice he used with his sister, "Ready to go mom?"

Mrs. Shay reached up and pulled her bandana off of her head to reveal to Sam to be very short as if she was a boy and matted to her head, dark brown hair. She blew out a breath as she took a few extra moments than expected to stand up from her seat. "Yes, I'm ready. When we get home, could you fix something for Carly and Samantha? I need to go straight to bed when I get home."

He glanced down at Sam assuming she was the girl his mother was speaking about and answered, "Not a problem mom." While still holding Carly, he reached down and picked up his mother's tote bag resting against the side of the desk.

Mrs. Shay reached over and offered her hand and a smile to Sam.

The blonde girl was confused by the gesture from the woman, but after a moment took her hand. Mrs. Shay's smile brightened then led the girl out with her children.

Shay Apartment  
>Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

Carly smiled softly as she spoke, "It played out a little differently the day we met, but my Sam is always welcomed even when she gets on our nerves."

Sam put on a big grin. "Carls, I can get on anyone's nerves."

Carly joined her with a soft laugh. "I'll take your word for it."

Sam motioned with her right hand and took a slight bow. "So how about that lunch?"

"That sounds pretty good right about now," Carly maintained her brief relief of tension.

Before Carly could take the first step down the stairs, Sam stopped her once more. Her voice shifted from the happy comradery to one of seriousness, "I have to warn you, Freddie's not too happy with you."

The brunette took a slow breath.

"You know the whole 'pretending to be his girlfriend' and how you let the other Sam treat the other him."

Carly cleared her throat. "I ah… found out his feelings about me when I told him where I was from and he thought I was his Carly."

"'Heartless' as he described you," she offered.

Carly looked down and an embarrass flush started to form on her cheeks.

Sam reached over and rested her hand on Carly's shoulder. "Look cupcake, it's going to be alright. Just let Freddie cool down a bit. It's just a major shock for him, especially since he hasn't seen Carly face to face in six weeks."

Carly felt that the next question she was about to ask may have been quite stupid to the blonde, but she asked it anyway, "He really loves her doesn't he?"

Sam gave her a knowing smile. "With all his heart."

All of Carly's past boyfriends and guys that she had been interested in flashed through her mind and how she felt about them and more importantly how they felt about her. She didn't need to take an in-depth look at which one out of all them made the rest pale in comparison. She looked down to the hallway floor for a moment then whispered, "Your Carly seems like a really lucky girl."

Sam agreed, but with a sad tone, "Maybe she is, but maybe you are too."

The pair finally made their way down the steps. Once they reached the first floor, Carly saw Spencer sitting at the kitchen counter. He apparently heard them and turned in the red stole to face the girls and gave Carly a nervous smile, but a supportive nod. The two headed for the kitchen where Mrs. Shay was preparing something on the stove.

Carly immediately noticed Freddie was sitting at the kitchen table with his back to the stove and a frown on his face as he looked at the PearPhone in his right hand while scrolling the screen with his left pointer finger.

The brunette swallowed nervously as she stopped beside the table while Freddie pointedly ignored her. She began anyway even if he wouldn't look at her, "Freddie, I'm—"

"Save it," he interrupted her with a clipped tone.

The brunette was a little taken aback from the brown eyed teenager's curt tone.

Freddie slid his phone in his jean pocket as he looked up to meet the brunette's eyes. He clenched his jaw tight for a moment then continued in a cold tone, "I'm going to play along for my Carly's sake because you're living her life for the moment and we don't want anyone to think she's crazy after you've switch back. We'll put on this act of being together in public if it comes down to it, but there isn't going to be any unnecessary PDA, so you're going to keep you hands to yourself unless I'm _forced_ to take the lead not to raise anyone's suspicions. Remember: I'm not your Freddie and you're not my Carly... just a poor imitation."

She swallowed and blinked in complete shock from the tone and how he felt about the situation and her. This Freddie knew how to hurt someone.

Mrs. Shay turned away from the stove and gave Freddie a look that indicated that she wasn't too pleased at what he said or the tone he used towards Carly.

Freddie caught the older artist's expression from the corner of his eye then looked to meet her stare.

Sam verbalized her outrage, "_Dude_, a little harsh."

The Tech-Producer turned his attention to the blonde. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have the same reaction if it was some alternate Brad standing there and had been kissing on you as he pretended to be ours then from wherever he was from stood around while he would allow you to get bullied."

Carly took on a sharp breath at realizing the depth of Freddie's anger with her and if she was making the proper inference, that this Sam and Brad were involved.

Freddie shook his head and didn't wait for a reply from Sam. He stood up from his seat and announced, "I can't do this right now. I'll see you later."

Carly frowned and felt the sudden wave of sadness ripple from her core through the rest of her body as she saw the native Freddie cut through the living room then exited the apartment.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Finally find the time to finish the next chapter. Thank you all for reading and your patience.

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

Carly looked down to the floor as soon as the door closed. Her mind flashed back to the last time her Freddie had walked away from her, more like hobbled away on his crutches to the elevator when he broke up with her. Her Freddie had walked away out of nobility; this one had walked away out of disgust.

Sam began as she started cutting through the living room to reach the door, "I'm going to go talk to him—"

Taylor softly instructed the blonde, "Samantha, leave him be."

Sam stopped in her tracks just past the couch and turned to see Mrs. Shay giving her a soft, but confident look that brokered no room for discussion on the matter.

The older artist let out a soft breath then continued as she gave the blonde a sympathetic and understanding expression, "Give him some time to deal with what's going on."

Sam bit her tongue and shook her head.

"Just give him a little time to deal. He'll pull himself together."

The blonde blew out a breath and quickly returned to the table to have a seat.

The Shay matriarch shifted her sights between the three remaining in the room and instructed, "I'm almost done with lunch, so everyone have a seat."

The three spared quick glances at one another then did as they were instructed by having seats at the kitchen table. They patiently waited for Taylor to finish making some sandwiches as she kept a watchful eye on the soup she was preparing on the stove. A few more minutes more passed then the Shay matriarch started pouring out soup for the three then setting out plates with the sandwiches.

Sam eagerly started eating on her turkey sandwich as she pointedly ignored the soup and Taylor setting out drinks for them.

Taylor sat the yellow liquid filled glass in front of the brunette and smiled as she commented, "I'm taking a guess that you like my Carly's special lemonade."

Carly took the glass of yellow liquid and took a quick sip. She smiled immediately as it was the same delicate balance of sweet and sour as her own homemade version.

Taylor gave her a cheerful grin as she took her place at the opposite end of the table. "I was hoping that would cheer you up."

"So what am I like?" Spencer asked with a goofy grin, but Carly could see the apprehensive look in his eyes. Even for the eccentric younger artist, the idea that she wasn't the real Carly and not that she just had some mental breakdown was hard to accept. "I mean everyone else has seemed to have gotten the chance to see what they're like?"

"You're a… you're an artist too, just… you're still struggling to get the recognition that you've achieved," she answered trying answer as diplomatically as possible in regards to her own brother. She found her mouth suddenly dry after her answer and took a quick sip of her drink.

He grinned widely and laughed with a cheerful tone, "Ah? The struggling artist bit? Working fingers to the bone in a tireless effort to be appreciated in his own time. That alone should be inspiration enough for the greatest sculpture of all time!" He narrowed his eyes as he thought for a moment. "I think I've been inspired," he finished with a goofy laugh.

Carly noticed that Taylor was giving her son a supportive smile which brought on a feeling a regret for her own brother never having that kind of support then another realization came to mind as she mumbled before catching herself, "If he gets up before noon."

"What?" her brother's counterpart asked as if he was unsure if he had heard her correctly.

The brunette quickly shook her head and answered with a higher pitched than normal voice, "Nothing."

Spencer pursed his lips and narrowed his gaze to the foreign Carly.

The web-hostess went on, "He may not be the best artist, but he's been a great brother looking out for me… raising me, me raising him. I wouldn't trade him for anything."

Spencer cracked a half smile and gave an accepting nod.

Carly turned her attention to her late mother's counterpart. "I'm still curious about a lot of things."

Taylor answered with an accepting grin, "Ask anything you want."

"When I went over to Freddie's earlier, Mrs. Benson gave me this look that she thought it was odd that I took my shoes off. Is she not a…"

Taylor nodded and snorted out a laugh, "A near hypochondriac? Yes she is, but we do not take our shoes off."

"Why?"

Taylor voices shifted to a surprisingly cool tone as she whispered, "It's not Holy Ground and I will not humor her to that point." She took a quick sip from her glass then continued, "I can respect Marissa's choices about her life and how she has raised Freddie… to a point and that's just one of many where I can't let her cross."

"There's others?"

The older brunette nodded her head to the side. "Yes, mostly involve how she raises Freddie."

Carly's brow furled and her lip pursed for a second then stated, "I don't understand."

Taylor blew out a breath then started hesitantly, "Freddie is really all Marissa has after her husband left her despite how close she is to her sisters. She seems more concerned at times to keep him dependent on her and not very far out of sight and that has been nearly been very detrimental to him several times over the years."

Carly raised a curious eyebrow. "She doesn't get upset with you?"

"All the time, but I just can't let her embarrass him or try to emasculate him to keep him close. It's just wrong, but she hasn't been as bad as she use to since he had to move out…"

Shay Apartment  
>Late November 2009<p>

Taylor and Mrs. Benson were standing in the living room and each wore an irritated expression on their respective faces. The petographers' cat Harmoo was lazily rubbing his head against Taylor's right leg as he may have not liked Spencer, but was he particularly fond of the older artist. Carly, Sam and Freddie were standing at the far end of the living room near the kitchen counter with Spencer sitting on the steps as they watched the two parents square off.

Tensions were still high as it had only been about an hour or so since Seattle police, paramedics and a few Special Agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (who showed up after Officer Carl had initially refused to do his job as a police officer) left with the blonde Petographer in handcuffs, the dark headed one on a stretcher crying like a baby after Taylor was forced to shoot him in the butt after they broke into the apartment (and attempted to turn their cat loose on her) and a fearful Officer Carl having to answer some rather embarrassing questions from the OSI.

Apparently, the Special Agents were quite concerned over the fact that Officer Carl not only didn't want to arrest the photographers after they clearly broke into the Shay apartment and started to destroy the iCarly studio, but turn around and harass the family of an active duty Air Force officer currently deployed in a combat zone. As they left, they started throwing around such terms as: 'police corruption', 'criminal conspiracy' and 'perhaps you may want to contact a lawyer' while they spoke with the officer.

Mrs. Benson demanded, "I want Freddie to come home right now!"

Taylor shouted back just as forcefully as she wasn't intimidated in the least by the irate woman, "He can stay as long as he wants to."

"You have no right to keep him here."

"I'm not. He's staying here of his own volition. You drove him to this. You have gone far enough Marissa and he's had it. You won't listen to him and you always ignore me, so he has to do this. Trying to embarrass him like that during the web-show over stupid vegetables, you should be ashamed of yourself."

"He needed to eat his greens!" Mrs. Benson shouted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Taylor blinked in disbelief. "So you decided that you should barge into the studio and attempt to force him to eat them live on the show? Try to control your son by trying to embarrass him live during the show where more than half a million people watch every Friday? It's wrong and you know it!"

Marissa clenched her mouth shut for a moment as her cheeks flared with embarrassment. She gathered her wits then shouted back, "I bet you don't say that to your brother with what he feeds his children."

Taylor clenched her jaw tight for a moment then retorted, "You're not Barry! They have allergies that limit what they can eat. He knows what he's doing. He wouldn't embarrass Faye or Ozzy just to get them to eat something."

"Are you sure? I'm a nurse! I know what to do!"

"Yes I am Marissa." Taylor snorted out and confidently pushed back, "He's an oncologist, he knows exactly what he is doing and he was near the top of his class in medical school."

"I don't need a lecture from you on how to raise my son from you, you… you're barely an adult yourself! Spencer has to be the adult more often than you!"

Any other person would most likely get mad at the accusation of being nearly a child, but Taylor knew there was still a lot of truth to that statement even after the two near death experiences that seemed to mature her at least a tiny bit. "Raise your son? The way I've seen it, you've tried your best to raise him as your daughter and emasculate him as a way to keep control over him."

Mrs. Benson was fuming at this point and she pointed past Taylor to Carly and shouted in an accusatorily tone, "This is all your fault!"

"My fault," Carly shouted with surprise and pointed to herself.

"You messed him up with his boy chemistry."

Freddie rolled his eyes and palmed his forehead. Carly instantly reached over and looped her arm around his to rest a comforting hand on his inner left forearm.

Taylor snapped back and pointed to the door, "Enough Marissa. If you are just going to try to deflect blame away from yourself then get out!"

"You can't make me leave."

Taylor stared coldly at Marissa in a manner that she usually saved for the high school students that were stupid enough to think they could get away with stuff with her because she was a soft spoken and nearly childlike adult. "You really think I can't make you leave my home? Spencer," she called out.

As on queue, he stood up from the steps and looked Marissa with an impatient stare.

Mrs. Benson frowned as she turned her attention to the tall artist. She looked back to the determined older artist.

"You really think I won't have him toss you out?"

Mrs. Benson blew out a huff of a breath through his nose then looked to Freddie. "You come home right now Freddie Benson."

"When you stop trying to treat me as if I'm a five year old then I'll be happy to come home."

Parent and child stared at each other as neither looked as if they were going to back down. After a few more moments, Mrs. Benson growled then turned quickly on her heels and headed out the door.

Freddie blew out a relieved breath and Carly pulled tighter around his arm. He turned his head and the pair gave each other comforting smiles.

The cat started rubbing his head more impatiently on Taylor's leg, so the art teacher bent down and picked up the beautiful cat.

Harmoo turned his head and hissed at Spencer which caused the lanky artist to reel back for a moment, but Taylor quickly turned the cat so he would look at her. She whispered softly, "I will shave you if try to scratch at me son."

The cat apparently understood and submitted to the alpha female.

Shay Apartment  
>AU Seattle, WA<br>August 20, 2011

Carly distractedly ate on her soup as she processed another story of how their worlds were different and the fact that this Carly and Freddie seemed to be tension free. She also kept glancing at the front door. She fought with her feelings of wondering if he would return and wanting to get up from her seat and walk across the hall.

Taylor whispered, "Part of it's because you fooled him."

Carly turned her head to see the concern expression on Taylor's face.

The art teacher gave her a warm smile. "Just give him a little time."

Sam chewed through a piece of turkey as she commented, "Yeah, even Megan can't fool him, but you did. I guess that would explain why he's so messed up."

Carly blinked as she looked to the blonde and slightly frowned as she was thrown with another piece of information with the differences of this world, "Who's Megan?"

Sam stopped in mid-chew and her eyes darted back and forth between Spencer and Mrs. Shay for a moment. She finished chewing her meat then hesitantly asked, "You don't know who Megan is?"

The brunette shook her head as she looked onto the pair with evident confusion on her face.

Sam and Spencer started laughing with the younger artist trying not to choke on his food in the process.

"What?" the brunette asked with irritation filling her voice.

Taylor covered her mouth with the back of her hand for a moment as their laughter was near contagious. She smiled as she dropped the hand and with a humorous tone, replied, "Megan is… someone that is your physical twin."

Carly blinked and looked to her 'mother' as if she was serious. "My what?"

The older artist motioned her head to the kitchen counter computer. "Samantha, maybe you should show her?"

"Alright," the blonde answered as she got up from her seat and headed around the kitchen counter to the computer. She took a few moments to bring up a picture while Carly got up from her seat and joined the blonde by having a seat in the neighboring red stool.

Sam motioned towards the monitor with a grin on her face as she pointed to the picture she had brought up.

Carly was standing with apparently another Carly as the pair had an arm resting around the other's shoulders with one grinning and the other one giving a coy smile. The brunette pointed to the screen and laughed, "You just Photoshopped two pictures of your Carly together."

Sam cracked a grin and shook her head. "Nope kiddo, that's a real picture of our Carly with Megan."

Spencer snorted out a laugh and called out from his seat at the table, "Show her a picture of me and 'Crazy Steve' together."

"Never mind Spencer," Taylor softly chastised the younger artist. She got up from her seat and quickly walked around the dinner table to rest her forearms against the kitchen counter and looked to Carly. "Megan is quite real. It was quite funny and a little disturbing during one of our trips down to L.A. when you happened to run into her."

She held back her curiosity about the fact that apparently going down to L.A. was a naturally occurring thing for these Shays. "She's not your Carly's or my…"

"No she is not either one of your sisters. It's just one of those weird coincidences that you two look alike, like Tori and Shelby look alike or Cat, except for the red hair, looks like I did when I was her age or how I and Liz Lemon look alike."

"Don't forget 'Crazy' Steve!" Spencer shouted from the kitchen table.

Taylor looked over her shoulder and smiled to her son then back to Carly.

"Crazy Steve? Like from Drake and Josh? But that's just a TV show—"

"A show based on their real lives…" She reached over and rested a hand on top of Carly's hand. "The point is that we're bringing this up because Megan can't fool him. She simply can't other than maybe a passing glance if she was walking past him. They tried one time as a joke for an iCarly segment, but he wasn't fooled for a moment, but… _you fooled him_ and it looks like that has messed him up just as much as her not being here. He might be questioning something deep inside about how much he's connected to his Carly because of that."

Carly looked down at the kitchen counter. The seconds ticked back as her mind processed what she had been told then spoke up, "I need to talk to him." She didn't wait for any comment from the rest as she jumped out of her seat and headed for the door.

"He may not listen," Taylor called out with a worried tone.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face her late mother's counterpart. "Maybe not, but… I have to try, because God knows I haven't been trying in my own world with my Freddie," she answered with a regretful, but determined tone.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: I have another update and I hope it will answer some other questions that have been lingering (not all, but some). Thanks for all the receives and continued support.

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

Carly took deep breath after crossing the short distance between the Shay and Benson's door. She lifted her right balled fist ready to knock on the door, but felt a certain tension and hesitation. She realized she really didn't know what to say to her friend's counterpart. He made it clear he wasn't interested in accepting any apology from her and would rather she be gone as quickly as possible and have his own Carly returned to him. However, she wasn't going to run the risk of being snapped back to her world before she could at least attempt to make amends with this Freddie.

She took another breath as she gathered as much of her courage as she could mustered then knocked on the Benson's door.

A few moments later, Mrs. Benson opened the door and looked to the brunette with mild irritation.

Carly figured that Freddie may not have been able to completely suppress his annoyance or whatever other feelings he had for her at the moment and his mother would of course interpret that he was actually upset with his Carly and not some weird girl from an alternate universe. She couldn't worry about that at the moment, so she pushed on with a nervous, but polite tone, "Hello Mrs. Benson."

"Hello," the taller woman nearly hissed out.

"May I see Freddie?"

Mrs. Benson paused as she looked Carly up and down for a few seconds before asking, "You didn't cheat on him while he was gone did you?"

She sucked in a quick breath being so caught off guard with the accusation. She slowly released it and calmly answered, "No I didn't, we just… we've just had a misunderstanding when he came back."

Marissa gave her a guarded expression apparently weighing the truthfulness of her statement until she looked past Carly to see Taylor standing just inside the Shay's apartment. The experienced artist gave the nurse a look challenging her to deny her daughter's request.

Mrs. Benson finally relented and confessed, "He's out on the fire escape."

Carly gave a slight nod. "Thank you Mrs. Benson." She turned and headed down the hallway.

The parents traded stares for a few moments until Marissa shook her head then turned back in her apartment and closing the door behind her.

Taylor closed her eyes and palmed her forehead as she wondered how in the world they were going to get along when Carly and Freddie had children. The brunette turned back into her apartment and said a silent prayer that this Carly and Freddie would work things out.

* * *

><p>Carly blew out a soft breath as she stopped at the window to the fire escape. Her eyes stopped at the partial profile of Freddie sitting in a lounge chair with his feet propped up and gazing out to the Seattle cloudy skyline as the rain had finally let up. She instantly recalled the time that her Freddie had used the fire escape as an escape and sanctuary when the world found out that he hadn't kissed a girl yet then remembered that he confessed having his first kiss with Sam on this same fire escape after her near panic attack from finding out they had kept it a secret from her.<p>

"Hi," she whispered softly.

He ignored her for a few moments before he finally snorted out without turning his head to look at her, "Hi."

She nodded long knowing that she was going to have her work cut out for with this Freddie (as if it wasn't going to be less so when/if she got back to her own world with her own Freddie). She lifted a leg over the windowsill to have a seat on it then lifted the other leg over so that her legs dangle on the outside of the building and to face Freddie. She looked down at the floor of the fire escape and let her legs dangle for a few seconds then whispered, "I'm sorry for fooling you."

Freddie closed his eyes and shook his head. "Well I have to give you props for being such a good actress. You even fooled her mother for a while. You must be fantastic on your iCarly," he finished sarcastically.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want you to think I was crazy and try to put me in some mental ward."

Freddie turned in his seat to look at Carly with a cold stare as if something had just dawned on him. "If my Carly is in your world and Spencer and the rest have put her anywhere and I find someway to get there, I will make them all pay. I promise you that."

The look of anger and threat in his eyes gave her no doubt that he would carry out what he said if given even half a chance.

Carly swallowed and nodded as she felt that was the safe choice.

The dark haired teenager snorted out then turned in his seat to direct his attention back to the Seattle cityscape.

The pair remained quiet for a few minutes as Carly didn't know what really to say to the angry teenager while Freddie remained silent for his own reasons which she guess was that hopefully she would just go away.

The brunette let out a nervous breath and casually commented in an effort to at least start off with useless small talk, "My Freddie and Sam shared there first kiss out here."

Freddie rolled his eyes then asked with a hint of disbelief, "He shares his first kiss with his tormenter? Wow, what is there to say about that?"

Carly turned her head to look at his profile and gave him a frown he couldn't see. "He was embarrassed that he hadn't had his first kiss. He missed an entire week of school because of people making fun of him. They just wanted to get it out of the way."

Freddie closed his eyes and shook his head for a moment. He whispered out, "He missed a week of school because they found out that he's never kissed a girl? Chizz... is that boy completely without a spine? What is he going to do if people find out he's a virgin? Skip an entire month?"

The brunette frowned deeply and felt the need to defend her Freddie with a harsh snap of a comeback, "As if you're a virgin!"

Freddie turned in his chair to see the brunette wearing an annoyed expression that was quickly turning into the familiar angry expression that his Carly wore when something got underneath her skin.

She stood up to fully step inside the balcony and pushed on as her anger and annoyance flared up against the person she was seeing as a pompous ass. "How dare you judge him for something you'll never face?"

"_What?_" Freddie asked with apparently genuine confusion on his face.

"Don't give me that 'What?'; I found your Carly's birth control pills in her medicine cabinet when borrowing some of her vitamins, so don't give me that vitreous act!"

Freddie stood up from his chair and frowned deeply for a moment then his face softened as he studied the look on the brunette's face. He gave a short snort then started chuckling which turned into a full blown laugh in which he had to wrap his arms around his abdomen.

Carly clenched her jaw tightly as her cheeks flushed and crossed her arms over her chest as she stared coldly at her Freddie's counterpart. "What's so funny?"

He placed a hand over his mouth and ran it down over his chin as he tried to suppress a laugh. "That's an interesting assumptions you are making about us."

She started blinking as he was laughing off her attempted insult.

He dropped his arms to his sides and grinned as he asked, "Do I really have to explain _to you_ why a teenage girl could take the pills other than prevent getting pregnant? Didn't your moth—" He quickly shut his mouth as he realized where his train of thought was going.

Carly frown deepened as she narrowed her gaze on the muscular teenager. She felt a momentary bit of embarrassment of not considering other possibilities, but she didn't let that feeling pursued her from the outrage she was feelings even if that was not Freddie's intention. "No, but my dad and Spencer tried their best in that area."

Freddie nodded and looked down a bit shamefully. "You would think your Uncle Barry's wife would have helped with that talk…" He looked up with a concerned expression and asked quickly, "You didn't take any advice from Sam's mom did you?"

Carly made an 'O' shape with her mouth and answered, "No."

He blew out a breath and commented sarcastically, "At least that's one smart thing you've apparently done."

"Stop insulting me!"

He gave her an even expression as the brunette started with an angry filled voice, "I am so sorry that I'm not your perfect little Carly that's always treated you right." She snorted out a breath then continued with a bit of sarcasm mixed with her anger filled voice, "I'm sorry that I always put Sam before you and I let her get away with anything and everything when it came to you. I'm sorry that I didn't stop her like I would have if she even attempted to do one thing to Missy that I let Sam do to you on nearly a daily basis. I'm sorry that I'm so janking stupid not to give the guy that loves me more than any other guy on the planet an honest chance so we could be happy… and I'm sorry that I didn't have my mom to knock some sense into me when I was thirteen so that all our lives wouldn't have spiraled into a the pile of chizz it is right now when compared to this paradise!"

Freddie leaned back slightly and eyes widened at seeing the angry brunette staring coldly at him with flushed cheeks and breathing heavily through her nose as she clenched her jaw tightly shut.

Her angry expression only lasted a few more moments before breaking eye contact with him as Freddie's softening eyes were beginning to break her resolve and she leaned back to rest against the windowsill and pulled her arms tighter around herself.

The Tech-Producer remained standing in shock at seeing the girl in front of him with the same passion and fire as his own Carly then seemingly retreat herself after she let the tension she probably had started building up since he had kissed her the first time be released all at one moment.

He took a step forward then turned to have a seat/lean against the windowsill beside her. He let out a breath through his noise as he stoically looked to the floor. He kept his eyes on the paved fire escape floor and whispered in a tender manner, "I'm… I'm not _the one_ you owe that apology to, but to your own Freddie."

She answered back with a bitter tone, "Know how to rub it in."

"No… just being honest. The one thing that I and my Carly have always had between us is honesty—"

She snapped her head up and looked at him with a challenging stare.

He gave a quick roll of his eyes at seeing her stern brown ones then answered, "Okay, other than admitting I was in love with her… anyway, we've never sugarcoated anything between us and I'm just being honest with you as I would with her… I guess Mrs. Shay's right about you two still having the same core."

She gave him a half smile then looked back down to the fire escape floor.

There was a weariness to the Tech-Producer's tone as he whispered, "I'm sorry Carly."

She lifted her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye. She started off with a soft whisper, "Well I guess after waiting six weeks to see your girlfriend then get fooled by some girl from the Twilight Zone would cause anyone to be a little bit irritable and short… she's lucky to have someone that loves her like you."

Freddie cracked a smile and responded solemnly, "I'm the lucky one."

Carly leaned to the side to rest her head on his shoulder and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You're both lucky."

Freddie let a sad smile form on his face. He took a deep breath then followed up, "I think you might have learned those lessons your mom was talking about she thought you needed to learn."

She snorted out a breath through her nose and cracked a tired smile. "I guess so… I guess so."

The pair sat there in silence as they looked at the continuously rolling storm clouds over the city. The rain may have stopped for the time being, but the clouds stretched out as far as the eye could see with no sign that it was going to clear out anytime soon.

Carly broke the silence with a whisper just loud enough over the blowing wind, "The last time I had learned my lesson I ran up to the iCarly Studios… alone… crying… then Mitch switched me back when I sat outside of it."

"Do you want to go up to the studio?"

Carly asked with joking tone, but with a hint of sadness just underneath, "That eager to get rid of me?"

Freddie frowned and glanced at her sadly. "I didn't mean it like that… there's just a lot of conflicting emotions about this whole situation… I know you want to go home, but at the same time maybe not… having to go back to a world without your mother."

"Yeah…" she whispered dejectedly.

Freddie felt the physical manifestation of her sadness around her shoulders and upper back against his arm. He pulled her tighter to him and she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck.

The faintest of smiles formed as she realized that her Freddie would have done the same thing… had done the same thing after the Girls' Choice Dance… and that this Freddie shared the same quality as her Freddie. She knew it would be nice just to sit here with this kind boy and pretend for a little bit, but the more rational part of her mind demanded that she couldn't go through another charade. The pain would be too much to have it crash on her again more than any sense of nobility.

Carly lifted her head and looked to Freddie's warm eyes. She gave him a smile that conveyed her thanks and her sadness about what she was going to say next, "I have to wake up now."

Freddie took a deep breath as he stared back at eyes that were so familiar yet foreign. He felt a sting of regret that he wouldn't get to know this Carly better, see what Mrs. Shay obviously saw and all the nuanced differences, good and bad, between the two Carlys, but nodded along his support for her decision. He released his arm from around her and stood up to stand in front of her. The brown eyed teenager offered his right hand to her. He whispered tenderly, "You won't be alone this time."

The girl from another world smiled gratefully to boy that was a friend to her literally in another life then gently placed her left hand in his hand. She stood up then Carly was the first to step back inside with Freddie's help. The pair walked back down the hall towards the Shay's apartment with Carly never letting go of his hand.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: What can I say? You got an answer to one important question. I hope you weren't disappointed, but I know some had to be disappointed or he could just be lying ;) At least Carly learned what she had to learn, but... story is not over yet. Later.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: Hey everyone. I'd like to thank everyone that continues to read and review this story. I'm still surprised what a big hit it has been and glad you've enjoyed it. Well, enough with my yaking, on with the next chapter.

* * *

><p>Chapter 18<p>

Shay Residence  
>AU Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

The door to the Shay apartment slowly opened with Carly the first to enter still holding on to Freddie's hand. The pair stopped at seeing the relaxing atmosphere of the Shay apartment. Sam was sitting on the couch watching TV, Taylor was sitting just inside the living room with the kitchen to the right with an easel painting on a medium size canvas and Spencer was working on some kind of small sculpture sitting on the kitchen counter near the computer with his back to the door.

Taylor looked away from her painting and stopped with setting her brush down in one of her paint cups sitting on a stool beside her with her various paints while Sam turned her attention away from the television as they both notice the pair entering. Spencer pulled away from his sculpture as he saw his mother stand up and head for the living room as he had been so involved with his sculpture he hadn't notice the door even opening.

Carly cautiously greeted them, "Hey."

Sam spoke up as she got up from the couch, "Hey."

Mrs. Shay glanced at the pair still holding hands then gave them a smile.

Carly released the boy's hand and smiled to her mother's other self. "We're good."

She gave an approving smile and nod.

Carly passed a quick glance to Freddie, whom he gave her a comforting smile, then looked back to her mother's counterpart. She took a quick breath then softly spoke, "I think it's time for me to go home."

Taylor took in a slow breath then released it as she studied the apprehensive brunette.

Sam spoke up somewhat sarcastically breaking the somber mood, "That's all nice and good other Carls, but how exactly do we do that?"

Carly turned her attention and gave a hesitant smile to the dirty blonde, who raised her eyebrows and gave the brunette a crooked smile, "I have an idea and I don't have a clue if it's going to work but… it's a try."

Spencer and his mother shared a quick glance with one another then the younger artist asked, "What's that?"

Carly nervously looked down at the floor then back up to meet her counterpart brother's eyes. "When I learned my lesson, I ran to the studio then a few seconds later Mitch switched me back."

Sam blew out a soft snort, "It can't be that simple."

Carly shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe not, but that's all I have."

Taylor gave her a sad smile. "I guess we'll try."

Everyone looked to the freight elevator.

Freddie hesitantly asked with a whisper that tickled Carly's ear, "So this could be goodbye?"

Carly snapped her head to face the teenager standing so close that he could have rested his chin on her shoulder then asked, "Maybe?"

Freddie arced an eyebrow. "Maybe?"

The brunette cracked a small smile, "Yeah, maybe."

Freddie joined her smile as retorted, "So maybe?"

"Oh will you two stop! Just as bad as ours," Sam complained with a rolled her eyes.

Freddie looked down and covered his mouth with the back of his left hand as he tried to suppress the bit of blush trying to form on his face.

Carly took a quick breath then looked at her best friend's counterpart. She softly shook her head as she whispered, "Sam? I wish I could get to know you a little better."

Sam gave her a bright smile. "Just think of me with all the best qualities and we'll leave it at that?"

Carly gave an agreeable nod and smile.

"Take care of yourself kiddo… thanks for taking care of the other me—" Carly interrupted her with bring her into a hug.

The otherworldly teenager whispered into Sam's ear, "You're welcome."

The dirty blonde gave a quick pat on Carly's back then the pair pulled away from one another.

Carly turned her attention to the tall artist. "Spencer."

"Carly," he answered the same kind of goofy smile as her own brother.

She gave him a bright smile. "Keep being a great artist."

"I'll try. Just tell your Spencer he can be great too… and never try corn juice."

Carly giggled. "Too late on the corn juice."

Spencer's eyes widened open and his mouth became a thin line. "Okay then," he finally commented with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

There was one last person she had to say goodbye to, but she didn't think she had the strength to do it, so she gave them all one last glance with a regretful smile with the intention of going up the stairs. However, was stopped when Freddie laced his fingers with hers and gave her a comforting squeeze of her hand causing the brunette to stop in her tracks and turn her attention back to Freddie. He smiled at her and reassuringly whispered, "I'll go with you."

Mrs. Shay spoke up, "If you don't mind, I'd like to say goodbye in private?"

The pair looked to the Shay Matriarch. The older artist and the tech-producer shared a few looks and seemingly exchanged some kind of understanding and neither Spencer nor Sam was going to argue with the request in support of Freddie if he had decided to challenge the older artist.

"Yes Mrs. Shay," he relented with a small smile then let his hand slip from Carly's grasp. He gave a slight nod to Carly, but she responded by quickly grasped his cheeks and pulled him for a deep kiss. He blinked in surprised from the strong, but brief contact as she pulled way. She looked him straight in the eyes as she continued to hold his cheeks and cracked a nervous smile as she apprehensively spoke, "One for the road?"

He cleared his throat and nodded as he didn't trust speaking.

She dropped her hands from his face, gave him one last smile and mouthed, 'thank you'.

He gave her a respective nod then the mother/daughter pair turned to head for the elevator without Taylor commenting on what just happened between the teenage pair.

Freddie and Carly stared at each other as the elevator door slowly lowered down then separated them as the door passed in front of their respective visions. He blew out a soft breath and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. Sam slipped an arm through the opening between his right arm and his torso then rested her head on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly for the pair's eyes to meet and the dirty blonde to give him a supportive expression.

Sam whispered, "It's going to be okay…"

Freddie gave a tired smile as he licked his lips tasting the remains of the otherworldly teenager and he could only hope she was right all their sakes.

* * *

><p>The trip to the studio was over almost as soon as it began, so Carly cautiously stepped out of the elevator and into the otherworldly studio. She glanced around the studio and it looked exactly the same as always. The mini-peddle car, the various pieces of art and props, Freddie's technical cart, the prop car, the award that they had won in Japan even the hammer stuck in the wall when one of Spencer's sculptures had went haywire. All of it looked the same.<p>

She was pulled out of her inspection of the studio from a loud clap of thunder outside and lightening illuminating the room as the downpour restarted. As Carly stopped in the middle of the studio to look out the window, Taylor spoke up from just outside of the elevator, "You know this use to be my art studio before it became your studio… her studio."

Carly turned to see Taylor looking around whimsically as she continued to speaking and walking further into the loft, "It's one of the reasons I asked… nearly begged Steven for us to take it…" She focused her attention on the curious brunette and smiled as she explained, "I didn't really have to beg Steven." She looked down at the floor for a moment with a bit of a mischievous smile. "He really could say no to me… I guess it was his way of making up for his 'Please, for me?' phrase that would always work on me…" She looked back to her daughter's counterpart and continued, "It was just… the apartment was just a little expensive for us… we were both twenty-two and had just graduated college together a few months earlier. He was a Second Lieutenant just out of flight training, I hadn't started teaching yet and Spencer was about to turn five, but… we managed. Steven got his slot flying F-Fifteens, my artwork started really picking up and your grandfather sneaked in a couple of rent payments under your dad's nose."

Taylor eyes suddenly lost their shine and sniffled and brought a hand to cover her mouth. She pulled the hand away from her mouth and held it up, "I'm sorry; I just miss your granddad at times…"

Carly frowned and looked to her sympathetically as she didn't remember much of her Granddad Dorfman as he had died not too long after her mother. Years ago, she had heard whispers between her father and Uncle Barry one time that her grandfather's death was simply due to heartbreak of losing his wife and daughter the same way and the old warrior couldn't take it anymore after losing his baby girl.

Taylor shook her head and put on a smile as she turned her focus back onto Carly. "I guess this might be our last chance so…"

The younger brunette swallowed down her growing apprehension then whispered, "There is still so much I'd like to know… how things were different… how things could have been better—"

Taylor gave her an understanding smile. "Or worst… no perfect world, but I understand…"

Carly bit her tongue as she had more to say, but thought it would be in bad taste, however Taylor seemed to instinctively understand what the teenager was thinking as she supplied her the words, "It's alright for a piece of you wanting to stay… if I had a chance of my mom or dad still being alive I'd be hesitant to go too."

Carly cracked a sad smile. "I don't want to wakeup, but… I have to wake up, so… goodb—"

Taylor gave her a supportive smile. "No goodbyes, I just said that to give you a moment between the two of us… I love you and pray you have a happy life… and tell your father he needs to find someone that he can be happy with."

Carly's sad smile was replaced with a hopeful one as even if she was not exactly her mother, hearing those words from her pulled her heart down from sinking any further. She gave her a nod then turned her back to her mother's image as she knew she wouldn't have the strength to speak the next words if she was looking at her.

"Mitch!" the brunette yelled out then glanced up at the ceiling. "Mitch! I'm ready to go…" She lowered her head to look forward toward the embedded hammer and whispered trying to hold the tears that were starting to sting around her eyes, "I need to go home…"

The only noise in the room was the reverberating noise off the window from the increasingly raging storm outside.

Carly clenched her jaw tightly willing herself not to cry. She swallowed down her growing fear then whispered, "Mitch… please…"

The room was filled with silence between the two Shays with the occasional clap breaking the stillness.

Carly wasn't sure how long she stood there and waited. There was no sense of time other than the thunder claps indicating a passing of time acting if they were ticks of a clock. The teenager finally turned back to Taylor with tears forming in her eyes. The older artist immediately opened her arms for the teenager to walk to her for an embrace.

Carly didn't hesitate for the offer as Taylor wrapped her arms around the twin for her little girl who rested her head on her left shoulder. "Shhh… it's going to be alright," she tried her best to reassure Carly.

Taylor just held on tight as she slightly rocked with the child in place and started softly singing, "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream…"

The melody brought a soft smile to the web-hostess' face and drowned out the sound of the ever increasing thunder clashing outside and lightening flashes illuminating the room even over the overhead lights.

The singing continued for a few more moments with a slight change in pitch from Taylor's voice. Once the melody had stopped, Carly lifted her head to see Taylor, but she looked different than she did a moment ago. She appeared ten years younger and her clothes had changed from a long sleeved shirt, jeans and colorful bandana to a white dress with a white, gold embroidered bandana around her head.

The teenager was fearful to even utter a word, but she found one last bit of courage to ask, "Mom?"

The younger Taylor started brushing Carly's hair behind the teenager's ear and whispered with a bright smile, "Hi cupcake. It's really me. I'm really mom."

Carly's mouth dropped open and her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at seeing her real mother apparently from Heaven instead of some alternate universe version.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Well, she's back in canon universe, but she apparently has a visitor along for the ride. I'm planning to wrap this up hopefully with two more chapters, but don't hold it against me if it has to go longer than that. I hope to update soon. Later, OneHorseShay.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a nice week and Saturday is going well for you. Thanks for all the responses to the last chapter, I appreciate them. I pushed back working on 'Jade Likes Nice Guys' to get this chapter done, cause my muse demanded that I get this chapter done. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter to 'Jade Likes Nice Guys' done today. Also I noticed my friend, Snapplelinz has posted another chapter to her Victorious story, 'Keep on Running, Tori', so I suggest when you get a chance to read that as well.

(I'm actually a few chapters behind and need to catch up, but don't tell anyone, shhh.)

Well, on to the story.

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><p>Chapter 19<p>

iCarly Studios  
>Canon Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

Carly pulled away from the white clad woman and took several steps back with a patient smile being returned from the woman. The teenager took a few seconds to take in the vision of her mother with muted expression. She almost looked like a human interpretation of an angel wearing her dress and headwear as both were white as the first snow fall of the season with gold embroidery around the waist and neckline and the gold embroidery around the edges of the tied bandana that made it look as if she was wearing a halo. She was whole and healthy as Carly vaguely remembered her as a child and from photographs before she got sick. It was as if she had stepped out of one of those photographs or right out of Hea—

She was terrified of interrupting the moment, but whispered out anyway, "Mom?"

Taylor gave her a bright smile and whispered, "Yes cupcake, it's really me."

"But… you're in Heaven…" Carly's eyes bulged out as a realization dawned on her. "Am I dead?"

Taylor's smile instantly vanished and was replaced with worried expression and a frown. "No, you are not dead, you're home."

Her mother's words were an instant reassurance, but instinctively the web-hostess started glancing around the room to see that she was still in the studio, but a quick look outside the window showed that it was a clear day with the sunlight shining through into the studio.

Carly swallowed down the mix of happiness and apprehensiveness of being home then turned her full attention to the woman standing in front of her. "Home?"

Taylor's smile returned and she took a few steps to close the distance between the pair. She rested her hands on Carly's shoulders then kissed her forehead and whispered, "You're home my cupcake. You're home."

Carly looked up to meet her mother's eyes and asked the obvious question on her mind, "You sent me… there? Not Mitch?"

Taylor shook her head. "No not Mitch… I couldn't trust him not to mess it up, but the Lord did that for me…"

The younger brunette blinked for a moment then asked with a surprised tone, "Why? Why did you do it?"

The former artist gave her daughter a reassuring smile. "After all you saw and learned do you really have to ask?"

Carly glanced to the floor and let a bit of blush form on her cheeks.

Taylor pulled Carly into a hug and rubbed her back up and down with a hand in a reassuring manner. She smiled and softly laughed, "It's alright. It's alright. I just needed you to see you couldn't keep going on the path you were on."

Carly pulled back a little, but allowed herself to stay in her mother's arms. "I really messed up over the years… with Sam… with Freddie?"

Taylor answered with a loving and supportive tone, "We all make mistakes and sometimes we get a chance to see them and correct them when we still have a chance… I wanted to give you that chance—"

"Before it was too late?"

The deceased brunette nodded and dropped her hands from Carly. "In a manner of speaking. As you saw how things could turn out, so too can the future and it wasn't looking too bright for the three of you if no one did anything to change… which you have the chance to change."

"Was that real? Where I was? Or was that a dream?"

Taylor glanced up at the ceiling and trying to gather her thoughts. "You weren't dreaming, but it depends on how you would define real."

Carly gave her a confused frown.

"I do not understand all of His great mysteries to all of His Creation; I just know that place exists."

"Did it have to be one where you are alive? That was… is going to be… you're not going to be here," Carly finished trying not to choke on her own words.

Taylor joined her sadness at that reality with a frown then answered, "I'm sorry for that, but it was the one I thought you would learn the most from in a positive way… to see the brighter side of the situation… let you feel some of the love I wasn't able to give you. Some of the other options weren't appealing."

Carly's sadness was replaced with curiosity, "What other options?"

Taylor smile in such a way that indicated that what she was going to say wasn't really all that funny, but ironic then answered, "I don't think you would have liked me dropping you in a world where a stray comment from another you caused such a break between you and Freddie that he nearly walked out of your friendship then started dating Cat… still don't know how that is going to play out. There is another world where Freddie said he didn't want to date Sam and the disagreement between your three alternates got so hostile that eventually it led Sam sending Freddie to the hospital and Jade putting Sam in the hospital in kind. It caused him to move to L.A. to get away from you two and start dating and living with Jade…"

Taylor's voice dropped to a sadder and fearful tone, "Oh what trials and tribulations those two are about to face together soon." The former artist took a breath then raised her voice to finish, "Then there's the one where your friendship limped through to graduation after the same refusal of that Freddie to date Sam, but not that bad a fall out, then it became one in really name only as he decided to go to UCLA… he started dating Megan near the end of their sophomore year."

Carly took in a sharp breath then swallowed down at hearing all those other possible worlds she could have been sent to visit… and how easy it could have been her world.

Taylor gave her a confident expression and continued in a firm voice, "I consider those the nightmare scenarios for you and wanted to prevent something similar to happen to you and them." She leaned forward and whispered in her daughter's ear in a conspiratorial manner, "Dropping you in the world where you and Freddie are going to be married in February may have been an interesting choice."

The former artist pulled back and smiled playfully at the shocked look Carly was expressing at hearing about that universe.

Carly gathered her wits as she processed the idea of marrying Freddie before she was even eighteen then asked, "So things don't have to turn out bad?"

"No, it just up to you and them…"

Carly nodded along as that was real lesson she learned underneath it all: it was her choices that made the world. She looked back to her mother and spoke in the most solemnly tone that she could muster, "Am I suppose to be with Freddie?"

"Suppose? It doesn't work that way my little Carlotta. It is your and his choices whether you two want to be together. As your mother, do I think you would be happy with one another? Yes I do, but it is still always your choice and no one else's including mine… not even the Almighty's. Don't feel any pressure because of the other Carly's choice or anything else… as others here demanded that Freddie give Sam a chance and pressured him to stay with her."

Carly swallowed as it was a gentle reminder of her behavior with using the Seddie fan in his basement during the Troubled Water's broadcast and demanding Freddie stay with Sam even after she cost him his trip to NERD camp. She looked her mother in the eyes and squared her shoulders to answer with a confident voice, "I'll remember that mom."

The pair looked to one another for a few more moments as silence filled the room.

Carly started feeling her chest contract as she realized what was about to come next. "Please don't go," she whispered in a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable.

Taylor blew out a soft breath through her nose and put on a sad expression. "I've already lived this life my little Carlotta. I wish I could stay, but… I'm not leaving quite yet…"

* * *

><p>The pair took the stairs down to the first floor and at first weren't noticed by the two occupants. Spencer was completely devoted on working on some new sculpture in the area just inside the living room by the threshold between the living room and kitchen. His face was a contracted expression of trying to put all his energy in thought to the sculpture of some form of a man. Sam was sitting on the couch vegging out on television.<p>

"Spencer?" Carly softly called out.

The artist turned in place away from his life-sized sculpture, but froze in place as he saw the pair standing in front of the stairs. "Oh my God…" Spencer whispered as he saw not just Carly, but the figure standing just behind her.

Sam jumped up from the couch and turned to see the pair standing behind her. Sam's left eye looked a little discolored with spots of yellow and dark blue bruising.

"Carly? Who are you?" Sam asked the stranger with a guarded tone.

Spencer ignored Sam's questions as he asked with disbelief filling his voice, "Carly… mom?"

Taylor hesitantly whispered with a hopeful smile, "Hello my baby Spencer."

Spencer swallowed and took a few hesitant steps towards the pair then slowly raised a hand as if to reach out and touch her to see if she was real.

The former artist walked around Carly and pulled her son down into a hug as he inherited his father's height and she was only as tall as Carly.

"I'm here Spencer," she whispered into the artist's ear as she tried to hold back her own tears.

Spencer's mouth hung open as he wrapped his arms around Taylor's back. He blew out a disbelieving breath as he whispered, "You can't be real."

His mother chuckled gleefully as she countered, "You're an artist my baby boy; you know there is more to the world than everyone else can see… why do you think you have to create?"

Spencer pulled away and looked down at his mother.

She giggled as she asked, "Did you actually get taller in the last ten years?"

"Maybe," Spencer answered and could help but smile with her.

She reached up and palmed his left cheek then whispered, "I am so proud of you my son… you are a good father and regardless of what you may think otherwise, your father is proud of you too. I do have to tell you a little secret though."

Spencer swallowed at hearing his mother's praise, but was of course curious at what she had to say.

"You can be so much more… never forget that."

Spencer took a sharp breath then nodded along. "I won't."

"And your father knows you didn't go to law school… you might want to fess up to him about that?"

The younger artist cleared his throat and gave his mother an embarrassed smile. "Okay."

Sam pulled her eyes away from the mother/son reunion to look to Carly and hesitantly asked, "Carls… is it really you?"

"Really me?" she asked hesitantly with a bit of confusing mixed with her voice. She glanced to her mother in hopes of some more answers.

Taylor turned from standing beside Spencer and gave a crooked smile and shrugged a shoulder. "She had to go somewhere, so…"

Carly started blinking rapidly and shouted out with disbelief, "You swapped us?"

The former artist nodded in the affirmative and looked somewhat embarrassed.

Carly licked her lips then asked just to make sure she understood her mother, "So the other Carly was here the entire time?"

"Yes," Sam spoke up and subconsciously rubbed her left eye socket.

The brunette's attention was drawn back to the blonde's bruise and asked, "What happened to you?"

Sam frowned deeply as she answered, "The other one didn't like how I was treating Freddie—"

"—and let Sam know about it," Spencer finished with a somewhat embarrassed tone.

Carly blinked then looked over to her mother.

Taylor shrugged a shoulder. "Are you really surprised she'd react that way after the last several hours? I mean… they are together, well their versions are together."

Sam lifted her hands up and spoke with a desperate tone, "This as been one upside down crazy day. Two questions: Are you really their mom? And two, was that really another Carly?"

"Yes, to both questions sweetheart."

The dirty blonde glanced to Carly and Spencer then back to Taylor. "It still sounds just as crazy as when Freddie was trying to explain it with geek babble about parallel universes or something."

"Perhaps, but the Lord did make it happen."

Sam rolled her eyes and sarcastically asked, "You're telling us 'God did it'? Really?"

Taylor smirked as she answered, "You realize you are talking to a dead person that has taken a day off from Heaven, right?"

Sam swallowed as she realized that the former school teacher had a point.

She smirked to her children and let out a soft laugh, "I'm still _the_ 'Sassmaster'." She whispered to her children, "I got that from your father and Ruby after all." Taylor turned back to Sam and raised her pointer and middle finger of her right hand together and touched Sam's forehead. The next moment, the discoloration around her left eye was gone.

The dirty blonde blinked dull pain of the bruised eye socket vanished and reached up for her fingertips to glide across her skin to double check she wasn't imagining it.

The Shay children looked on just as stunned as the blonde.

However, before either could say a word, the door to the Shays' apartment flew open and Freddie rushed inside shouting, "Guys! The other Carly is—" Freddie stopped in his tracks when he saw Carly and the rest standing behind the couch. He blinked and gazed at Carly completely ignoring Mrs. Shay. She gave him a nervous smile and had to actually break eye contact from him for a moment.

The tech-producer slowly approached the brunette. His steps were timid as he was afraid if he made any sudden moments she would be spooked and disappeared from sight.

Once he was just a pace or two away from her, Freddie whispered, "Oh my God… you're back? Are you, you?"

Freddie didn't wait for an answer as he looked in her eye then scooped Carly up in his arms and lifted her feet off the ground to slow spin themselves around in a spot.

Carly gave him a relieved smile as she hung on to his shoulders and he sat her back down on her feet. Her eyes met Freddie's eyes and she saw the same love in them that she had seen in the other Freddie's eyes, but this time she was humbled and reassured that he could still look at her that way.

"Yes, it's me and I'm back."

Freddie cracked a huge smile then slipped his hands from her back and up to her cup her cheeks. He gave her a soft and chaste kiss on her lips then rested his forehead against her forehead. His eyes were closed as he started whispering over and over again, "You're back, you're back, you're back, you're back…"

Carly swallowed as she could almost feel the worry radiate off of his body as he continued to hold her. She had to clear her throats several times before she could whisper back, "I'm really back Freddie. I'm really back."

"I love you," he whispered in return.

Carly took in a sharp breath. For some reason, this time when he spoke those words they seemed to carry a heavier weight to them for her. Maybe because she was finally starting to grasp what they truly meant in that context instead of what she threw around with all those others she thought she loved.

He looked up to meet her eyes and maybe into her very soul as he whispered, "I love you and I will keep loving you no matter what mistakes or trials or screw ups we go through even if you will never love me like that in return."

She squinted her eyes closed to tried to hold back a few tears she felt forming and lifted a hand to rest on his left cheek as she whispered out nearly out of breath, "I know, I know and please never stop."

Freddie sucked in a breath with being a little a taken aback from her answer. He lifted his head away from her and finally noticed the woman dressed in white.

She smiled warmly at him and spoke in a kind tone, "Hello Freddie."

He looked the woman up and down and cautiously asked, "Hi?"

Carly looped her left arm with Freddie's right arm and motioned with her other hand towards the former artist and explained, "This is my mom, Taylor Shay."

"Carly?" he questioned as if he was concerned for her sanity even after the day he had been through.

She leaned over and whispered into his ear, "It's a very long story about what happened that I promise I will tell you later."

"Same here, very, _very_ long story…" he whispered back then turned his full attention back to the Heavenly dressed woman. "It's nice to meet you ma'am?" he stated with an apprehensive tone.

"It's very nice to meet you Freddie." She looked to Sam and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's nice to meet you too Sam… I just… I wish I could have been the mother you needed…"

Sam sucked in a quick breath from the deceased woman's statement. Taylor leaned over and kissed Sam's temple then whispered, "My children will love you and I think it'll be enough. You'll just have to remember they love you."

The blonde remained silent from the former artist's humbling words as Taylor blew out a tired breath (even if it wasn't possible for her to be tired) then started, "Everyone has a lot to talk about, so I guess my work is done…."

Carly and Spencer's faces dropped as they looked at their departed mother. It was torment for the Shay children to see their mother and knowing that she would have to leave them again. A part of Carly was glad that her father wasn't here with them, because she didn't know how he would go through losing her again.

The brunette was quick to speak up before she lost her chance, "Do you have to go right now? I mean right at this moment? Can't Heaven wait a little bit?"

The older brunette's eyes started darting around between the living individuals in the room and nodding her head from side to side. She looked to her daughter and answered, "Well… I thought you would take the entire day to figure everything out instead of one in the afternoon, but you do have your father and my dad's brains… so why not take the rest of the day?" she finished with a hopeful smile. She turned her attention to Spencer and asked, "How does spaghetti tacos taste?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it has answered the final burning questions. I have one more chapterepilogue to go. However, seriously, if you think I missed anything or didn't answer a question you thought I should have answered, drop the question in a review so I have time to make sure I address in the last chapter. Thanks, OneHorseShay.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: This is the last chapter. It has been a blast. I'm glad that you loved it by the amount of reviews and hits this story has obtained. I can't thank you all enough for it. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. Now on with the story.

* * *

><p>Chapter 20<p>

Shay Apartment  
>Canon Seattle, WA<br>Saturday, August 20, 2011

The time was approaching eleven o'clock in the Shays' apartment. Carly's arm was wrapped around Taylor's right arm as the pair sat on the couch watching television with Sam sitting on the other end of the couch just snacking on some nondescript food.

Freddie was facing the television as well as he sat in the black chair near the bookcase and door and sparing an occasional glance towards Carly which she would acknowledge by meeting his eyes. She knew they had a lot to talk about, but he was respectful in knowing that their conversation would be later.

Spencer was busy back working on his sculpture. It had been a while since Carly had seen her brother that involved with one of his projects. Something must have inspired him to devote his attention to the sculpture even with their mother present. It occurred to her that maybe Spencer was trying to impress their mother with one of his works before she had to leave.

Sam finished up her snack then became the one that broke the comfortable mood as her curiosity got the better of her, "If you're dead, how were you able to eat spaghetti tacos?"

Carly lifted her head off of her mother's shoulder and snapped with a look of abject embarrassment on her face. "Sam!"

The dirty blonde shrugged her shoulder as she turned to her friend to answer, "I'm just wondering."

Taylor spoke up with a perplexed expression, "I don't know; I don't have a stomach, I don't need the glasses and… I don't even have lungs so I don't know how I'm talking."

Freddie laughed for a few seconds, drawing the trio of ladies' attention and curious expressions to him. "Mrs. Shay, you're back from the dead; I think it's an all inclusive package of being a miracle."

The former artist nodded her head as he looked to Freddie. She casually commented not really paying attention to the others in the room, "Angels can eat when they're in human form… Castiel likes hamburgers… Mitch likes chicken wings…"

They started laughing at her comments along with Spencer as he had overheard them and turned away from his sculpture. The laughter lasted a few more moments until the front door opened and Marissa briskly walked inside the apartment.

She didn't really notice the woman in white sitting on the couch as she focused her attention on her son.

Freddie stood up and turned to face her mother and rolled his eyes knowing he was about to argue with her knowing what she was about to say until Taylor spoke up interrupting the brunette with a tint of red in her hair, "He doesn't have to leave."

The part-time nurse turned to look at the Shay Matriarch with mixed expression of annoyance and curiosity of who had contradicted her motherly instruction.

"Who are you?"

Taylor stood up and smiled at Marissa. "I'm Taylor Shay."

Marissa blinked as she took in the vision of the uniquely dressed woman. She finally mumbled out, "You can't be her… she's dead."

Taylor slightly frowned as she wore a bit of a confused expression. "I'm quite well aware when and how I died… don't remember the pain; I think they had me on the pain killers at that point."

Mrs. Benson frowned as she looked at the white clad woman. She answered with a bit of annoyance in her voice, "That is not funny. This is a cruel trick you are playing on them."

Taylor to a few steps to stand beside Freddie then reached her hand up and brushed the back of his head. After a few brushes of her palm over the back of his head, she pulled her hand away to hold up a burnt out microchip between her pointer, middle fingers and thumb as a magician would pull out a coin from behind the ear of a child. She wore expression that displayed her mild anger as she spoke to Marissa, "Do not speak to me about cruelty. He is your son, not a dog to keep track of… the Lord certainly does not approve."

Mrs. Benson swallowed at seeing the burnt out tracking chip that Carly fried during their time with Nora.

Freddie instantly grabbed the back of his head his right and palmed over his hair, but felt nothing out of the ordinary.

The deceased woman continued as the chip between her fingers blinked out of existence, "You have violated and violated and violated your agreement with your son about behavior towards him… and the Lord has seen that and you will have to make an account to Him of your behavior towards your son."

Marissa frowned at the accusation. "You have no idea what He—"

She was interrupted with a sudden lightning flash outside then the lights dimmed in the apartment then brightened back up then dimmed again before finally returning to their normal level. Mrs. Benson felt a shiver and the rest of the occupants looked around with concern at the lightening and darkening of the lights. When the lights returned to normal, they all focused their attention to Taylor.

She wore an impassive expression on her face as she whispered, "I have no idea of what?"

The Benson Matriarch swallowed down nervously then whispered, "Come home at a reasonable hour Freddie." She turned and headed out the door without another word.

Freddie looked to Mrs. Shay with a worried expression.

Taylor kept her gaze on the closed apartment door as she answered Freddie's unasked question, "Your mother freely chose how she has treated you over the years… she will have the face the consequences of those actions one day."

Freddie remained silent and nodded his head in acceptance of her point.

The Shay Matriarch turned her attention to Carly and Spencer and spoke, "Unfortunately, her timing coincided with the time I have to go."

"But it's only eleven?" Carly desperately pointed out.

Her mother smiled sadly, "I have one more stop to make."

Carly closed her eyes and nodded her head. She felt the faint touch of lips on her forehead then looked up to her smiling mother.

Taylor looked to Freddie first and smiled hesitantly. "Freddie… the only advice I can give you is to be a good man… no matter what the universe throws at you and remember what the other Carly told you."

He straightened his posture and looked to the former artist with a determined expression. "Yes ma'am, I will."

The older brunette looked to Sam and smiled warmly at the girl that didn't get the chance to be her second daughter. She wrapped her arms around Sam and pulled her close. The dirty blond slowly raised her hands to rest on the deceased woman's back. Taylor whispered into her ear, "Be good Samantha… it's the only way you will be happy in the end." Taylor pulled away and smiled down at the troublemaker while Sam nodded her head and kept her mouth shut tightly.

Taylor turned to her taller son who took a few steps to her and she gave him a comforting smile.

Spencer looked to her with a weary expression then whispered in a tired tone, "We've done this before… I didn't like it that time either."

Taylor blew out an unnecessary breath through her nose and glanced down to the floor. She finally looked up to meet his eyes. She answered with a mournful tone, "Yes we have."

The mother and son looked to on another for a few more seconds then embraced one another. The held on to one another for a few seconds then pulled apart and that was that between mother and child. The older brunette opened her arms and Carly instantly embraced her. She whispered into her daughter's ear, "I love you my cupcake."

Carly swallowed down her heartbreak then whispered, "I love you too mom."

She smiled as she looked over her daughter's shoulder and continued to whisper, "You have a long road ahead of you, but I think you'll be alright."

The brunette closed her eyes tightly and let a regretful smile play on her lips. "Thanks mom… for everything."

Taylor pulled away and smiled the best smile she could put on her face to try to comfort her daughter. She leaned forward and kissed her forehead again then whispered, "Close your eyes cupcake."

The web-hostess did as she was told and closed her eyes.

There was the softest of sounds of wings flapping filled the room for a moment then the room was silent.

Carly opened her eyes and saw that her mother was gone. She let out a slow breath then looked down at the floor. She closed her eyes tightly and let the tears flow as Sam and Freddie each wrapped an arm around her shoulders and waist, respectfully and tried to comfort a girl who had lost her mother three times.

Shay Apartment  
>Canon Seattle, WA<br>Sunday, August 21, 2011

The digital clock resting on the nightstand displayed 12:23 AM as Carly Shay stared up at the ceiling of her room as she lay on her bed. She had remained mostly silent since her mother had left more than an hour ago to go make another stop before she returned to Heaven.

Go back to Heaven… the very concept of her mother being able to return for a time was still hard for her to wrap her mind around even after all she had experienced today. She was comforted by the fact that she knew that she would see her mother again one day even if it wasn't for another hundred years or longer if she went the Charles Dingo route with a robot body in the future.

The brunette didn't know how to tell her father or if she should about the events that happened over the course of the day if he was not one of the people that Taylor decided she wanted to see before she left this plane of existence. She wondered whether Taylor seeing him might do him more harm than good.

That wasn't a question she wanted to wrestle with at the moment as the real reason she went through the day's events had to be tackled and not be put off any longer especially since Carly wasn't alone in her bed as Freddie was lying next to her staring at the ceiling.

The brunette took a deep breath then slowly let it out as she whispered, "I'm sorry Freddie."

Freddie took his own slow breath then whispered in reply, "You want to have this talk now? We could wait until the morning."

Carly turned her head to see Freddie still staring at the ceiling. The web-hostess asked with a bit of fear in her voice, "You don't?"

The brown eyed teenager shrugged a shoulder that bumped into her shoulder as he continued to look at the ceiling and whispered back, "I'm just not sure what to say at the moment other than what I said to you when you came back."

She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her courage then opened her eyes as she spoke, "So you still love me?"

"I've always loved you," he replied with a tone as if commenting that the sky was blue.

"Even after everything? It's not hard imagine how the other Carly reacted being here and judging me about my—"

He snorted out a soft laugh, "She punched Sam out and called you a heartless bitch when we started going into the details about the differences. I think that kind of sums up her feelings about what she thought about you and Sam."

Carly closed her eyes and swallowed down a bit a shame that threatened to overwhelm her.

Freddie remained quiet for a few moments then spoke, "Even after she gave me a good swift kick, figuratively of course, out of my complacency and acceptance when it came to you and Sam's behavior and made me face some of my own behavior over the last few weeks that I'm not particularly proud of… like trying to blow off you being right to be mad that me and Sam were ditching iCarly and just accused you of jealousy just to name one thing… I realized that I still love you."

"How? How do you still love me after all those mistakes?"

Freddie let a grin play on his face. "I see the good in you… and I can forgive the bad. I won't keep my blinders on anymore with you and Sam and accept anymore of that behavior from either of you, but… I think we still have something special… if we both keep our eyes open and not slip back to how we behaved before today we're going to be fine."

"So me saying sorry is enough? It's not too late to save our friendship?" Carly decided to voice her fear that she had been carrying since her mother mentioned the other universes where her alternate had failed and lost not only Freddie's friendship but him to Cat, Jade and her physical twin she hadn't met, Megan. She didn't want this universe to play out like those places, but closer to the one where she was going to be married to Freddie in the next few months.

The tech-producer hesitantly asked, "No it's not… if you mean it?"

He had given her an opening and she took it in less time than a heartbeat with an eager whisper, "Yes, I mean it… I am sorry for what I did you and allowed to happen. All I can do is try my best to show you I mean it."

Freddie wore a small smile on his face as he answered, "Then yes, it is enough for me."

The pair remained silent for a few minutes as each took comfort in the presence of the other.

Carly rolled to her side and scooted over to rest her head on his shoulder. She lifted her right arm and gently rested her hand over his heart. "The other Freddie is in love with his Carly."

Freddie wrapped his arm around the small of Carly's back and pulled her close as he rested his hand on her hip. He whispered in return, "And she's in love with him…"

She was terrified of the answer, but she asked anyway, "Where does that leave us… other than our friendship?"

The brown eyed teenager remained silent for several moments before answering, "I… I don't think it matters what kind of relationship they have, just what we want from our relationship."

The brunette snorted out softly with a laugh, "My mother said the same thing."

Another silence fell over the pair for a few moments as Carly listened to Freddie's heartbeat reverberate through his chest. She finally whispered with a hint of fear in her voice, "You said that once you were out of your casts and that I had gotten over my hero worship that if I still wanted to be your girlfriend you'd be psyched about it… I told you no by dating Steven without saying a word to you, but… can I still say yes?"

"Why? Why now? Is it because of them? You're not in love with me."

Carly lifted her head up to meet his confused eyes. "She wasn't in love with her Freddie, but she loved him like I love you when they started. Do I have to be in love with you to date you… to be with you right now?"

He studied her soft eyes as the other Carly's advice filled his mind. He finally shook his head then whispered, "No, you don't, but why do you want to give me a chance now?"

"Because I'm not blind anymore to what I… to who I want that can make me happy and that I know will love me. For a few brief hours, I saw what we could have and I want that… if you saw it, you would—"

"I did see it with her… she didn't mean to all the times she looked at me, but the way she looked at me let me know what it could be like… I still want that."

She cautiously asked as her mouth seemed to become dry, "So you would accept yes?"

Freddie took a deep breath and answered with a steady tone, "Yes… I'd still be psyched if you wanted to be my girlfriend… we just couldn't be blind going into it with how we feel or the problems we have or live some kind of dream."

The brunette snorted out a laugh then whispered as she looked down at her brown eyed boy, "I was blind this morning, but now I see… and if _this_ is a dream, I don't want to wake up." She leaned down and captured Freddie's lips… her Freddie's lips in a kiss.

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><p>Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I can't thank all of you enough for the time you took to review this story. I've enjoyed all of your input and discussions about it.<p>

I'd like to thank the beautiful and talented Tina Fey for the use of her image as Taylor Shay for this story and my other stories. I really wish Dan could get her to play their mother.

You can pick up with the quasi-sequel more like a parallel story, iWant to Wake Up where AU Carly is in the canon world and you will get to see her interactions with everyone, especially with canon Freddie that will put the Freddie you just read into better perspective. I hope that it will be just as entertaining as this story.

Thanks again everyone, OneHorseShay.


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